Vespa

The Vespa is near and dear to my heart for many reasons. My Vespa journey began in Italy, where it quickly became intertwined with friends, travels and memories. My already established love and appreciation for this modern classic deepened when I learned of our own family’s Vespa history in Crete. The model for this artwork is a small, white replica I received as a gift as well as a Vespa book I picked up from a bookshop in Milan. Understanding some of the iconic Vespa history and aesthetic helped me bring this piece to life. Creating a collage of a mechanical object was outside of my comfort zone, but the fluid Vespa design and forms made it a pleasure. I worked hard to ensure that each graphic element I used created form, texture and a sense of light and shadow. It was a fun exploration of elements and each part of the Vespa was built (and sometimes rebuilt) with intention. The materials used are almost all transportation related or Italian in nature.

The background is from a sheet of chroma paper from the late 1970’s/early 1980’s

The red and gold bits of metallic used on the lights are from a bag of Italian Lavazza Gold coffee packaging

The topography maps that make up the body are from over 20 years ago

The aircraft schematics used on the wheel and headlight are from one of the aviation books of my husband’s youth

The admission and transportation tickets, calendar and NATO coupon booklet used are all from Italy

The light silver metallic card stock is from Italian makeup packaging

The suede is from a skirt that was given to me in NY - the reverse side makes up the tires

The metallic headlight is from a bag sent to us by the Virginia Department of Transportation