British American Racing goes arty!

Bringing together Art and Formula One Racing, the Lucky Strike BAR Honda team are proud to announce the launch of a brand new arts initiative.

Tribe Art aims to celebrate creativity within the arena of the world's most dynamic, dangerous and challenging sports. Tribe Art is a commitment from the Lucky Strike BAR Honda Formula One team to support achievements in the world of art and culture.

In the first year, the focus will be on contemporary visual art and the Lucky Strike BAR Honda Team are delighted to announce that London based artist Julian Opie will be the first recipient of the Tribe Art Commision/2002.

As well as the commission, the team are also sponsoring a special touring exhibition generated by the creative ability within the race team itself and the professionals who support them during the season - Tribe in a box.

Tribe Art Commission / 2002 / Julian Opie:

Julian Opie will create a large-scale installation open to the public, housed in the Truman Brewery's Boiler Room in London's Brick Lane. The new commission will take the form of a frieze similar to a cartoon strip featuring the circuit and landscape of racing alongside images of the drivers. Opie's inspiration comes in part from speed, which he describes as 'one of the few truly modern experiences...', and in part from the drivers, Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis, of the Lucky Strike BAR Honda Team.

Julian Opie was a natural choice for the commission as the theme of movement has been fundamental throughout his work, often featuring cars, roads and road signs. Opie has a compelling and unpretentious response to everyday life; landscapes, portraits and still lives have been translated into visual languages beyond the traditional realms of high art, such as billboards and cd album covers, memorably seen in his portraits of Blur for their 'Best Of' album, now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. Opie's long-standing interest in non-gallery locations for his work has led to public commissions including an enormous nine part outdoor motorway sign project in Germany, a multimedia commission for Heathrow Airport and a temporary installation of six large outdoor portraits for Tate Modern while the building was under construction. He is presently working on a series of sculptures for the lobby of a new Jean Nouvelle building in Tokyo.

Tribe in a box:

A special touring exhibition generated by the creative talents within the race team itself and the professionals who support them during the season. This has been inspired by the 'Lucky Tribe', an organisation that started life in 1999 with a simple ethos: To bring the people of Formula One together and generate a close, open relationship with the Lucky Strike BAR Honda team and the sports media.

The Tribe derives from the distinctive Indian Chief logo that appears on the car, the drivers' overalls and the team uniform. It is a symbol of unity, focus and friendship.

Philip Albera, is known to be one of the best professional film makers in the racing circuit. His featured film "Pit Stop Honda" won the film of the year award at the "Automobile International Festival 2001". Tightly edited, the film conveys both the speed of the car, the skill and pace required from the team support with all the tension and glamour that surrounds Formula One - something Philip knows well as an ex-racing driver himself.

Claudio 'Chico' Corradini, Lucky Strike BAR Honda's Gearbox Technician has been an amateur photographer for more than 15 years. His vibrant contemporary landscapes reflect some of the wild and wonderful scenery that surrounds the world famous racetracks he visits each year. Travel and experience is important to him and his work is an intensely vivid look at the natural world, juxtaposed to the technical world in which he works.

Alastair Gibson, Lucky Strike BAR Honda Chief Mechanic has had a fascination with sharks since he was a child and his mechanically trained skills have been tuned to a more creative form of 'building', sharks from car parts and other engineering objects. These are exquisitely crafted and sleek beasts, reminiscent of the cars they are made from and amazingly near to being anatomically correct.

Hannes Schmid, world renowned fashion photographer was commissioned to photograph Lucky Strike BAR Honda drivers as 'supermodels' for this exhibition. Fashion, celebrity and sport come together in these glossy, urban images.

Tribe Art events incorporating Tribe in a Box and the new Tribe Commission will be travelling around the world over the coming season.

Press Launch: Tuesday 16th April, Opens 16.00, Photocall 16.30Venue: The Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1Public opening: April 17th to 19th 12-5pm daily.