Nissan Brings Urban Art Culture to New York Auto Show with Help from Barnstormer Artists; Artists from Critically Acclaimed Group Barnstormers Paint Creative Backdrop for Nissan’s Latest Sport Concept

NEW YORK, NY -- March 23, 2005 -- Visitors to this year’s New York International Auto Show not only have a chance to see the latest new cars and trucks but can also take in a bit of urban culture at the Nissan display.


Nissan has collaborated with a group of New York-based artists to paint a creative backdrop for Nissan’s newest vehicle, the Sport Concept, at its public world debut.

The interactive display will feature artists painting a 40-foot mural in real-time, inspired by the Sport Concept, and a “video jockey” mixing music and DVD video on a large LED screen above the canvas. Painting commences at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 23, and is scheduled to be completed by 3:00 p.m. for Nissan’s media reception, where journalists attending the show on the first of two press days can take in the completed artwork and speak with Nissan designers about the Sport Concept.

“The Nissan Sport Concept is designed to appeal to the youth market that actively seeks out style, innovation, and personal expression,” said Fred Suckow, director of marketing, Nissan North America. “We think the best way to showcase the Sport Concept is alongside artists who are expressing those exact same qualities.”

The Nissan Sport Concept offers the look and feel of a sports tuner car, yet is conceived as an affordable, attainable vehicle for buyers entering the new car marketplace for the first time. It is designed to be a performance-oriented hatchback with the style and individuality to match the lifestyles of its young, active buyers.

“This car is a celebration of youth, with its simple pureness and raw energy,” said artist Romon Kimin Yang, a.k.a. Rostarr. “Many of us draw our inspirations from our childhood with certain influences from urban living. This mural is the visual manifestation of the vitality and movement grounded in today’s youth.”

The painting will remain at the Nissan display through the public days at the NYIAS, which run from March 25 to April 3. Following the show, Nissan will take the art on a cross-country tour to its various North American facilities, underscoring Nissan’s future offerings of small, youth-oriented vehicles.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com.

About the Artists

Rostarr

Romon Kimin Yang, a.k.a. Rostarr, is a New York based Korean-American artist who has exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. His work is defined by a style he calls ’Graphysics’, which is based on Graphic design + Physics. Creating in a free-formed and automatic manner, his work weaves an individual vocabulary of iconography & symbolism to create abstract worlds. Nature, human psychology and spirituality are all inspirations in which he incorporates in his art. His work has been extended into the mediums of painting, sculpture, digital art/animation, textiles and collaborations with the art collective ’Barnstormers.’ With sponsorships and collaborations with companies such as Nike, Gravis, Agnes B, Yamaha, etc., Rostarr has been branded on a worldwide scale. In January 2000, he was featured as one of I.D. magazine’s “40 under 30”. He was also recognized as an honoree in the 2004 A.I.C.P. show for graphics for Nike Basketball Asia. In 2001, he published the book “Graphysics” by Rostarr. His artwork has been reviewed by the New York Times, The Village Voice, Dazed & Confused, W, Vogue Nippon, Relax, Interview, The Fader, i-D, Surface and others.

Yuri Shimojo

Yuri Shimojo has been expressing her life through painting, drawing, writing, and dancing since she was 3 years old. Her upbringing in Tokyo consisted of learning Japanese traditional arts and experiencing foreign culture through traveling abroad. These two elements have influenced life’s work. She now lives in Brooklyn where her daily inspirations come from collaborative “jam sessions” with her family of artists, the Barnstormers. She also practices ancient natural healing. Shimojo has published several books of her own artwork, including: “Crimson Full Moon” (1995), which showcases her earlier works; “Tiny Scribble” (1997), an autobiography of her unique childhood; and “Vagabonds” (2001), a picture journal from her trip in Central America and Mexico.

Christian Mendoza

Christian Mendoza is a New York City-based painter from Nicaragua whose work draws from the experiences of his homeland and the influences of New York City and Miami. His father was a respected architect and first inspired Mendoza to draw and paint. When his family moved to the Bronx in the 1980’s, Mendoza began to develop a style that combined architectural draftsmanship with the new inspirations of letters, faces, and forms that covered the subways of New York City. Mendoza later moved to Miami, where he attended the Center for Media Arts and drew further influences from the city’s colors and forms. He returned to New York in 2000, where he now lives and works in a range of styles that culminate all the influences of his early development. As a founding member of the Inkheads and an influential member of the Barnstormers, Mendoza has been involved in collaborative art making for over a decade. Mendoza has been commissioned by Altoids (Brooklyn & Miami), GASBOOK, the Micranots, The Creek South Beach Hotel, and is in the collections of performers including Bobbito, and KRS ONE. Mendoza’s work has appeared in V Magazine, Interview, STYLE, NewYork1, RES Magazine, Tokion, and Relax Magazine among others.

Contact Information

Tim Gallagher

Senior Manager, Nissan Product PR

Nissan Corporate Communications

Contact via E-mail