Bumblebee, the yellow-and-black Chevrolet Camaro, is one of the better-known Transformers from recent years. But one artist based out of the United Kingdom is offering a unique take on the ever-popular vehicle-that-turns-into-an-otherworldly-robot.
His name is Hetian Patel, and his latest piece is insipired by Transformers. He used a 1988 Ford Fiesta, a choice inspired by his first car, which was a gift from his father. Then, they both set out to convert the little Ford into a “robot in disguise,” the Transformers tagline that Patel interprests as a metaphor for the ability to transform into a position of empowerment in a fantasy world, according to his artist’s statement.
The first thing you’ll notice about the sculpture, aside from the incredible end result, is the fact that it’s squatting. Patel chose this position because it was a recurring theme in his work. In this piece, it signifies tension “between the seemingly submissive nature of the squat and in this case, it’s oddly larger than life scale.”
It also doesn’t shoot lasers and trasform back into a car, but it’s still an astonishing project. Don’t forget watch the video for a time-lapse look on how he built the sculpture.
