Undercover Cars

I suppose all boys are curious about vehicles, maybe because they can move by themselves like magic, whether they are real ones or even toy ones. I remember reading the Bus under the Leaves as a boy where two boys find an old bus and uncover and explore it. The curiosity and aspect of discovery has stuck with me, and I have even worked on an archaeological dig uncovering hidden things. This body of work has evolved over the past few years since my son started liking vehicles of all sorts and I would take a snap on my phone to show him when I got home. When he was really small he would ask me to draw vehicles or even make them out of snow in the winter. Then there was a time when he asked me to draw a Land Rover under a blanket, I don't know where it came from, but I imagined all the drapery around the form of the Land Rover and drew it for him. About this time, I regularly had to stay in London for work, and the hotel I chose had a sports car under a cover parked opposite it every time I went. I took some photos of this car and then began to notice others, so many that the theme of the cars under cover has become a long term project. I usually have a camera with me when I travel, often something pocketable, nearly always but not exclusively a film camera. The lack of garages brings more classic cars onto the streets of London compared to other towns, and I like the ingenuity of how there are usually little flaps for parking permits, so these cars must go. I suspect others don't. I like to try and work out what sort of car it is, as it is not always obvious. the Triumph Herald raising its eyebrow is one of my favourites. I feel using mechanical cameras and film is right for these mechanical objects, both classic designs with real substance which will outlive the bland uniformity of the present instantly outdated age.