Artist Hopes To Sell Car For $200,000 - It Has 5,000 Springs Attached

[matcom]

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Chicago artist Alan Bolle doesn't turn too many heads.

His car, however, is another story. Paint with red and blue circles and adorned with 5,000 springs, Bolle's BMW 2002 has caught enough city motorists' attention to cause gawkers delays.

"It's about getting art into the community," Bolle, 46 said of his mobile creation. "People can enjoy it just for the simple fact of it being there."

Bolle, who will be moving to Baltimore at the end of February, is hoping to sell the car for $100,000 to $200,000 at a series of weekend closing exhibits at his Springman Studio on West Kinzie. After two decades, Bolle said he can no longer afford to live in Chicago because of escalating rental costs.

"It's sad," Bolle said about parting with the 1976 two-door car he brought six years ago for $2,200. "I have to sell it to generate funds."

Bolle, who used to drive a similarly designed 1980 VW Rabbit before it became inoperable, said his cars have garnered mostly positive reaction. "One lady fell down on the street laughing. . . . It's humorous. It provokes joy," he said Wednesday.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-springcar27.html