This black and white art photograph incorporates notions of freedom, Americana, and sensuality. A vintage fastback convertible, holds two sensually-posed women. The vantage is from directly above the middle of the vehicle. showing the nude figures between its two doors, dash, and drop-top. Also visible are a bit of the louvered hood, and some of the trunk.
Composition
The shadowy interior composition is framed by the white rim of the car’s exterior. The lines of the automobile dominate the artwork, presenting concentric layers of design. Around the perimeter are highlights, reflected in chrome along the window sills, door handles, and various knobs.
The woman laying across the front seats bridges the center console, projecting her hips seductively into the air. Her position adds a fervent tone to the scene. Her feet breach the contours of the car, resting on the top of the driver’s door panel, near the locking knob. She covers part of the automatic gear selector track.
The woman in the back seat chooses a more concealed posture on her side, arms cradling her chest. She looks upward, towards the light. Details visible in the scene include the steering wheel with the logo in the middle, hand-cranks for windows, wood grain accent panels, and seat belts. Bright sunlight invades the interior and the two seem to retreat into the shadows. They squint into the approaching light.
Theme
The figures are shaded in recesses of the black upholstery of the generously-sized American automobile. The deep gray tones establish a pensive atmosphere. The layered structure of the image imparts a reassuring vessel for the two protagonists that links with the nostalgic Americana symbolism.
The two look towards each other, visually separated by the backrest of the partially-folded front passenger seat. Each of their faces is three-quarters visible. Their faces resemble a mirror-image.
A convertible symbolizes freedom more so than perhaps any other car design. Automobiles live large in Americana and this two-door V8-engined Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme model was part of the coming-of-age story for many, This image draws upon advertising imagery in dramatizing and glamourizing the narrative of prosperity and optimism.
