Trucks as Canvas: Alaskan Fisherman Turns Old F-150s into Art
Transforming old trucks into new treasures requires a little imagination and plenty of pounding metal into masterpieces.
You hear of automotive restorations all the time. The idea of taking a Corvette or Mustang that has seen decades of use, and turning it into something perfectly refinished is not a new concept. Some consider this to be automotive art — and indeed there is art to be found in automotive restoration.
But as we know, not every vehicle is given a second chance at life, so what is to be done with them? Well, a creative man named Rob Johnson (pictured), who lives in Alaska, says that they too can be art.
In his small Alaskan town, Johnson makes metal pieces of art taken directly from old cars and trucks of various brands, including a recent project that uses parts from a ’64 Ford pickup truck.
Johnson takes certain areas of the truck, like the fenders for example, and beats them into shapes. Being that he is Alaskan, most of his work thus far has indeed been metal fish.
‘If I was rich they’d call me eccentric, but I’m just weird.’
“Everybody likes fish. It’s recycled or upcycled. It’s Alaska Native,” Johnson tells a news reporter from local Alaskan news team, KTTU. “There’s a lot of value that culminates in the piece so it’s attractive to many different people.”
By far the most interesting part of his process is that he doesn’t use paint at all. Rather, he removes top layers of the car’s paint and basically unveils what is underneath, whether it is rust or just general discoloration. The final result is beautiful piece of artwork that is multicolor in its appearance. You can see his artistic process in KTTU’s video.
While he is no national sensation as of yet, or even considered a true “artist,” Johnson considers himself to be something much more modest.
“If I was rich they’d call me eccentric, but I’m just weird.”