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INFO:
"Hotrod Empire Inc." is the 2nd book
by photographer Dirk "The
Pixeleye" Behlau - famous for his authentic kool lifestyle photography
and author of the photobook "Speed
Kings".
Book Cover :
PRESS
German
Version:
Welcome to Hotrod Empire, Inc.!
Der vorliegende Fotoband ist ein Portrait über die
europäische old-school Hot Rod & Kustom Kulture
Szene. Neben den Rods & Kustoms steht vor
allem der Lifestyle der Rockabillys, Rockabellas und Rock´n´Roller
im Vordergrund, denn die old-school Hot Rod Szene ist viel mehr als
nur alte Karren fahren.
Es ist der Rock´n´Roll Sprit, Kick-ass Punkrock, der Psychobilly,
das streben nach Freiheit und die Fuckoff Attitude. Eine Verneigung
an alte Zeiten, gepaart mit Spass und Melancholie, klassisch-schönen
Pin-Ups abseits der heutigen Mode-püppchen und vergänglichen
Eintagsfliegen. Darum geht es hier. Um die Menschen und um
Rock´n´Roll Lifestyle abseits der normalen Pfade, die von den Medien
als cool und trendy tituliert werden. Den Spirit der 50er und 60er
Jahre, Freundschaft, Werte und Party.
Leute die ihr eigenes Ding machen und laut „Fuck the world“
schreien! Und viele Dinge, die man nicht einfach so in ein paar
Zeilen erklären kann.
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Profiltext:
Dirk Behlau aka „The Pixeleye“, Jahrgang 1971, ist professioneller Designer und Fotograf aus Köln. Seit 1999 kreiert er mit seinem Designstudio „Pixeleye Interactive“ individuelle, hochklassige Lösungen für internationale Kunden.
Dirk fotografiert mit Vorliebe „Kool Lifestyle“: amerikanische
Automobile der 30er bis 70er Jahre, klassische Pin-Ups voller Glamour, Rockstars und außergewöhnliche Menschen mit Attitude. Dirk fotografiert weltweit
für internationale Publikationen und Marken.
Hotrod Empire Inc. ist Dirks zweiter Fotoband über die europäische old-school Hot Rod Szene. Seine Fotos entstehen aus der Mitte des Geschehens unter Gleichgesinnten und Freunden.
www.pixeleye.de
www.hotrodempire.de
Download:
Hotrod Empire Inc. Cover - 300dpi (JPEG)
Download:
Pressemitteilung (Deutsch, PDF)
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English
Version:
Welcome to Hotrod Empire, Inc.!
This volume of photography at hand is a portrait of the european
old-school Hot Rod & Kustom Kulture scene. Besides Hot Rods &
Kustoms, rockabilly-, rockabella- and rock´n´roller lifestyle takes
center stage, because the old-school Hot-Rod scene consists of more
than driving an old jalopy.
It´s the rock´n´roll spirit, the kick-ass punkrock, the psychobilly,
it´s about freedom and fuck-off attitude. A bow to ancient times,
linked with fun and melancholia, beautiful classic pin-ups instead
of modern fashion victims and fading mayflies. That is what it´s all
about.
About the people, the art and the rock´n´roll lifestyle apart from
ordinary trends, which are dictated by the media. The spirit of the
50´s and 60´s, friendship, value and party. People, doing their
thing, shouting out „fuck the world“! And many other things, that
you can´t explain in a few lines. Therefore, less text, more photos
explaining themselves. Thank you all, you know who you are! |
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About:
Dirk Behlau, aka „The Pixeleye“, born in 1971, is a
professional designer and photographer from Cologne/
Germany. Since 1999, he creates individual high-class solutions for international customers in his design-studios „Pixeleye Interactive“.
He prefers shooting „Kool Lifestyle“: american cars
from the 30´s till 70´s, classic glamorous pin-ups,
rockstars and uncommon people with attitude. He
works worldwide for international publications and
trademarks.
Hotrod Empire Inc. is his second photo-book about the European
old-school Hot Rod scene - his photos arise from the center of the
action among like-minded people and friends.
www.pixeleye.de
www.hotrodempire.de
Download:
Hotrod Empire Inc. Cover - 300dpi (JPEG)
Download:
Press Release (English, PDF) |
REVIEWS:
"The combination of hot rods, kustoms, and pin up models is sure a fine winner - afteral you are holding an issue of Garage in your hands, aren´t you? Well imaging a 128 page coffee table book of nothing but page after page of photos of that subject matter and each and every one is suitable for framing. We could only imagine the volume of photos that Dirk Behlau had to omit to shrink his selection down to fit inside this book. What we wouldn´t give to see the world through Dirk´s lens just for one day."
Review by Jesse James (West Coast Choppers) in Garage Magazine #19 (USA)
"A new masterpiece by Pixeleye himself" DRAGRACER Magazine #39 (Germany)
"Dirk Behlau, or Pixeleye, as his known to his friends and foes alike, is arguably Germany’s foremost photographer and documentarian of the local hot rod scene. His still images of everything and anything that moves on four wheels and is frequently accompanied by beautiful creatures in short skirts speak volumes. They are also bound in volumes; two, to be precise.Hotrod Empire Inc. is Dirk’s second picture book, and most likely not his last. We like it a lot, mainly because it has lots of rockability, but also because it doesn’t contain any pesky words and sentences to slave over; it’s all photos, and lots of them to boot. Well, there are some words, actually, but they’re at the beginning and at the end of the book. And they’re easy to read ’cause they’re in English.
As far as the visual content of the book goes, there are cars, of course, cool-looking American cars, some of which you might have seen already in RebelRodz—like Jay-Jay’s ’35 Ford that we featured in issue No. 4 (February ’08), for instance. There are also girls in this book, girls like the beautiful Zoe Scarlett, Switzerland’s pre-eminent pinup model and seemingly Dirks perennially favorite subject, or the very sexy Maureen van Mortis. And there’s art; art must not be omitted from any book about kustom kulture. There’s Doug Dorr pinstriping a tiki head, Skratch pinstriping a
headlight, Doug Dorr again, pinstriping Zoe. And on it goes.
While all of the photography is first class, some of it is even more first class because it’s made to look like third-class snap shot art: coffee-stained, scratched up, scruffed up, seemingly out of focus, off-centered, greasesplattered pictures, all in an effort to lend age, use and authenticity to a genre that thrives on living in a greasy, rusty past. More than anything, however, there are kars, kars, and more kars to ogle and admire, and that’s really what it should be all about, with or without explanatory words. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, Dirk’s slim little coffee table book is one enormous, wordy tome! So do yourself a favor and check it out! As they say in Germany: Yoo vil buy it und yoo vil like it!" RebelRodz Magazine #10 (USA)
"Behlau fängt eine einzigartige Welt in hochklassigen Bildern ein...Das Buch gehört in den Schrank jedes Rodders, aber auch jeder andere Benzinverrückte sollte dieses Stück Fotokunst gönnen" Read more... Autobild.de (Germany)
"The second photobook by Dirk Behlau is a must-have" Kinkats Magazine (Germany)
"Hot Rod Empire Inc. porträtiert sehr feinsinnig die hiesige Kustom Kultur: Hot Rods, Pin-Ups, Pinstriping, Tattoo. Dirk Behlau gelingt es dabei, die motorisierte Subkultur schnörkellos und authentisch abzubilden. Die Szene wird respektvoll porträtiert, nicht ausgestellt. Motorkultur.com (Germany)
"Der Mythos USA – auf vier Rädern Lassen sich Metall, Schmierfett, Schrauben und abgefahrene Reifen so fotografieren, dass man sie gerne anschaut? Und ob! Zumal wenn der Fotograf Dirk Behlau heißt..." Münchner Merkur (Germany)
Example pages - click on the images for a higher resolution!
CREDITS:
Pixeleye Interactive
Dirk Behlau, Hölderlinstr. 1, 50968 Cologne/Germany
Steuernummer: 219/5021/1648
USt.-IdNr: DE236181788
IBAN: DE09370501980146008727
BIC / SWIFT: COLSDE33
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