Swiss artist Fabian Oefner is known for his Disintegrating series, which picks apart scale models of cars and features individual pieces for an incredible final image of what appears to be an exploding vehicle. For his newest work, Disintegrating X, Oefner was not only able to get his hands on a real car, but an iconic vehicle at that. A 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV—a car valued at $2 million—received Oefner's signature treatment, and the results are as explosive as ever.
Over the course of two years, Oefner took more than 1,500 photographs of each part of the Lamborghini. Working methodically, Oefner has created a hyperrealistic art piece that shows off the Lamborghini Miura in a way that's never been seen. The work explores the boundaries between time, space, and reality by creating a moment that looks real, even though it isn't. By working with a real vehicle, rather than a model, Oefner is continuing to push the limits of his art.
The photographer was given this unique opportunity by a friend who was in the process of restoring his Lamborghini Miura. Oefner didn't hesitate when asked if he wanted to take advantage of the situation and use the classic car to create a new piece. From there, Oefner set about visiting the Lamborghini factory in Italy to painstakingly photograph each piece of the car. By suspending the parts from wires and ropes, Oefner is able to capture the image he's after—each photograph becomes part of a bigger puzzle he puts together for the final photo collage.
In the end, we're left with a dynamic photo composite where the Lamborghini seems to be in mid-explosion. As we zoom in, it's possible to admire the beauty of its design and each part that goes into making it tick. For Oefner, this unique experience gave him a different perspective on the Miura. “When I started working with this car, I was seeing it ‘just' as the icon we all know, a Lamborghini Miura,” he shares. “But as the days went by, it became more and more special, and at the end of the process I knew every single detail of it. To me, it’s not just a Miura anymore, it’s become a bit like a person. Now it rolls on the road, finished and fully restored, and every time I see it I’m like, ‘Oh, I know you!' ”
Fabian Oefner's new artwork shows what appears to be an exploding 1972 Lamborghini Miura.
Oefner spent two years photographing each part of the $2 million Lamborghini while it was undergoing restoration.
Meticulous planning was needed to ensure the final photo composite would come out just as he imagined.
