Custom Vans as Endangered Art Form

Photos by Joe Stevens

Once upon a time, when we were wearing Toughskins and "Hotel California" ruled the AM airwaves, America had a fling with customized vans. With shag carpets on the inside, and airbrushed graphics on the exterior, custom vans were -- for one brief, shining Zeitgeist moment -- the mainstream embodiment of stoner cool.

That moment came and went, but many of those vans are still on the road, rolling along like internal-combustion refugees awaiting the opportunity to appear in a sequel to Dazed and Confused.

In case that day never comes, we were happy to see that photographer Joe Stevens has undertaken a project to document hundreds of custom vans before they disappear entirely. Stevens writes:

Over the course of the project the vans themselves have become more and more of a rarity. The reasons are as simple as rust and changing tastes; and as complex as government “cash for clunkers” initiatives encouraging more fuel-efficient transportation. Notably, at the same time these vans have been disappearing from our roads – film photography as a visual medium has also begun it’s slow death. Consequently the goal of the project is to one day shoot the last remaining van on the final frame of photographic film in existence. Then the project will be finished.

Until then, the photos he's amassed are so worth a view. Just remember: "If the van's a rockin', don't come knocking!"

LINK: Vans and the Places They Were, by Joe Stevens

UPDATE: 08 Feb, 2010: In the spirit of great minds thinking alike, Flickr user Orrin Andersen also created a gallery of faded custom vans. If you need another fix, by all means check out his We're An American Van photoset.

Comments

[scott]

Also:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orrin/sets/72157605571081007/

[Telstar Logistics]

Thanks Scott! I updated the post to include Orrin's photoset.

[Taco Jack]

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/custom-van/id283565795?i=283565818

"Custom Van/We made love in the back of my custom van"