Carwash 78'

Carwash 78'
Beau Simmons
Edition of 10 + 2 Artist Proofs for Each Size
Unframed Sizes (Framed Sizes)
32" x 40" (39" x 47")
48" x 60" (55" x 67")
75" x 60" (84" x 69")

I find a lot of inspiration from the 70s era. The classic cars, the lifestyle, it's always captivated me. I went into this idea with the thought of a typical warm summer day in 1978. These types of photos are always a joy to produce because I get to outsource outdated items such as classic cars and vintage wardrobes but still add a Western twist to them. To me, it's something you'd expect to see every day in the country. Where a cowboy would cool his horse off after working all morning under a hot sun, mixed in with the everyday customer looking to detail their car before hitting up the honky tonk that night. This image just looks like it was taken in a much simpler time. When the little things like your local carwash were an everyday thing. I was fortunate enough to include local cowboys and cowgirls to help bring this vision to life. We staged the vehicles on a Sunday morning and trailered the horse out with us to be the focal point of the image. Each one of these men and women either rodeo full-time or work on a nearby ranch. After developing the film and getting the final image back from the lab, it brought back so many memories of my own. I remember growing up getting excited to grab a handful of quarters and help my parents wash the car. If we didn't have change, I would just wash the cars at home and take a drink from the outside hose when it got too hot out. This artwork is dedicated to those memorable times while also creating a sense of wonder for the viewer.