Press Release
Topic: Artcar Artist Goes Green for Artscape 2008
Date: July 18-20 2008
Place: Artscape,
Contact: Conrad Bladey, 510-789-0930 cbladey@verizon.net
Summary: Local Artcar artist (Cartist) Conrad Bladey becomes the first Cartist to replace fossil fuel powered lights with Green solar powered lights to create a dazzling artcar experience. The cars with the new lights will appear at Artscape 2008 and delight thousands.
Description: Equipping Artcars to appear at nighttime events has always been a challenge. Cars have been covered in lights presenting light shows. Others have utilized Christmas lights. Conrad Bladey started using Christmas lights and then moved on to rope lights. Lights meant that cars had to be equipped with batteries and power inverters which transformed the DC current of the car battery and alternator, powered by gasoline into AC current required by the lights. Once one installed the technology one still had to burn fossil fuel in the car engine and cause pollution to charge the battery. Batteries also, filled with acid would also wear out creating yet another pollution problem.
At first there looked to be no alternative. Years ago when solar lights came on the market they were expensive and were limited to a warm glow that one could hardly see. This year Conrad Bladey looked at the solution once again. He considered garden new landscaping lighting in the form of spotlights. These turned out to be ideal. The process was slow in the beginning with the addition of one light here and there. Money was tight so slowly funds were scraped together to buy a few more lights over time until each of the five Bladey artcars were equipped. The latest edition turned out to be quite powerful. Handy Car (a world famous Bladey artcar which has taken top honors in the artcar world) received a set of three solar powered spotlights and a glass hand for its mirror covered grotto above the trunk in the rear. No one knew what the effect would be until the power of the sun was switched on that night. The effect was truly amazing. The three lights were amplified by the large glass hand and reflected by the mirrors creating a light show experience second to none. It could be seen for blocks. This year all of the cars with the new Green Solar lights will be on display at Artscape 2008. One car will even have temporary solar lights mounted on magnets so they can be moved around and stored when not in use. The application has importance well beyond art. Conrad has noted a sharp decline in vandalism to his cars which are parked on the street after the lights were installed. Perhaps the Artcars may lead others to discover not only a Green alternative but a security technology as well.
You can see a video showing the Handy Car Solar Spotlights Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxTANBFE94
Prior to Artscape you may visit the Artcars at the Hutman Productions art Environment at any time by appointment-They are located at
Absolutely Briliant! and All from the Sun! So bright it can barely be photographed visible for blocks.
