Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas.

Cadillac Ranch was created in 1974 by an artists' collective named Ant Farm, and consists of ten "junker" Cadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the car line from 1949 to 1963, half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The piece is a statement about the paradoxical simultaneous American fascinations with both a "sense of place"&mdash;and roadside attractions, such as The Ranch itself&mdash;and the mobility and freedom of the automobile.

Cadillac Ranch is currently located at 35.18722°N, -101.98706°W. It was originally located in a wheat field, but in 1997 the installation was moved two miles to the west, to a cow pasture along Interstate 40, in order to place it further from the limits of the growing city. Both sites belonged to the well-known local helium tycoon and eccentric Stanley Marsh 3, a supporter of the project.

Cadillac Ranch is visible from the highway, and though it is located on private land, visiting it (by driving along a frontage road and entering the pasture by walking through an unlocked gate) is tacitly encouraged. In addition, writing graffiti on or otherwise spray-painting the vehicles is also encouraged, and the vehicles, which have long since lost their original colors, are wildly decorated. The cars are periodically repainted various colors (most recently white, and pink before that) to provide a fresh canvas for future visitors.

External link

 * Official Ant Farm Cadillac Ranch website
 * Audio Interview with co-creator Chip Lord on The Sound of Young America: MP3 Link