Winged Porsche 917
10/03/2021
There really is (almost) nothing that doesn't exist. For example, artist Heidi Mraz unveiled "Aerodynamics by Entomology", made from 1000 butterflies to depict the metamorphosis of the Porsche 917 from an "unstable monster to an immortal racing car".
A few years ago, artist and documentary filmmaker Heidi Mraz heard the extraordinary but still unknown anecdote about the creation of the legendary Porsche 917. Dedicated to preserving and uncovering automotive history, Heidi Mraz was inspired by this important moment in Porsche's past and began to consider how she could tell this story through her art. The result is "Aerodynamics by Entomology", a 4 x 6 foot (48" x 72") living, multi-layered work of art.
In 1969, after a fatal accident at Le Mans, Porsche engineers and factory drivers took the dangerously unstable 917 to the Österreichring to find out why it tended to lift off the track at high speed. An excerpt from "Gulf 917" by Jay Gillotti reads: "In hindsight, the 917's handling problems that drivers initially complained about can be attributed to aerodynamics. It's important to remember that aerodynamics for racing cars was still something of a black art in 1969. Formula 1 cars had only just been given primitive wings, but ground effect was still years away." When the car returned to the pits, John Horsman, team boss and engineer at Porsche JWAE, noticed that the car was covered in dead midges, with the exception of the rear section. Horsman realized that there was probably little or no air flow to the rear and therefore not enough downforce to keep the car on the track at high speed. Horsman quickly modified the car with aluminum sheets and tape, and on the very next test drive, the 917 was able to race around the track at record speeds. Driver Brian Redman was delighted with the modifications and proclaimed: "Now it's a racing car!" The Porsche 917 was the overall winner at Le Mans in 1970 and 1971 and is still celebrated as one of the greatest racing legends of all time, although its racing career was halted due to changing FIA regulations in 1972.
"The little known account of John Horsman's epiphany and how he modified the 917 inspired me on so many levels that I felt the need to tell the story through my art," says Heidi Mraz. "Using butterflies as a medium was a natural choice. Symbolically, butterflies have a multitude of parallels to the story of the 917.
They are an insect like the dead mosquitoes that covered the car; both the 917 and the butterfly are light, and both had to go through a metamorphosis to mature. Both are also symbols of immortality, although they only have a short life cycle.""Aerodynamics by Entomology" is a spectacular assemblage portrait of one of the most famous Porsche 917K - chassis 917-022 - which rose to Hollywood stardom after its debut in the movie "Le Mans" starring Steve McQueen. This extraordinary work of art consists of around 1000 paper butterflies and other insects that match the blue and orange racing livery of the legendary Gulf car. The hand-cut, placed and pinned butterflies add a poignant dimension and the illusion of movement to the artistic depiction of the 917.
About Heidi Mraz
Heidi Mraz is represented in both corporate and private collections. Her artwork is collected and exhibited nationally and internationally. Her clients include some of the world's leading automobile collectors, brands and museums. Earlier this year she unveiled "Shaped by the Wind" in honor of the Porsche 906-134 and in 2019 she unveiled "Beneath the Surface: Bugatti of Lake Maggiore", an automotive assemblage inspired by the Mullin Automotive Museum's famous "Lady of the Lake", which was submerged for 75 years. Heidi was the official poster artist for the Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance and the Art in Motion Concours in New York and was also commissioned to paint the winning cars of the Amelia Island and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. She is a consulting curator for The White Collection in San Francisco and has served as a judge at major concours on the East Coast of the US. A feature-length documentary film, "AUTOMOTIVE ARTIFACTS," is currently in production, providing a behind-the-scenes look at Heidi's historically based automotive assemblages. Heidi Mraz Fine Art, which has an extensive portfolio and long list of projects, is based at Studio 717 in the artist's hometown of Great Falls, Virginia. Studio 717 is both a workspace and gallery for the artist and can be visited by appointment.
Of course, she also has a website.
