2026
Mixed Media on Canvas

No matter how much duct tape ended up holding it together, no matter how much rust- I’ll never forget the car rides, the interior design and the way that he’d open the rooftop window in the summer as if it were part of a touring experience. It opened so slowly. There was a hot pepper hanging from the rearview mirror, and miniature boxing gloves with the Italian flag printed on them.
“They don’t make cars like this anymore,” he’d look me in the eye and say the same thing every time.
“This car is number one. You wanna buy? Just kidding, one day Nonno will give it to you for free”
It’s so strange to watch objects outlive their people. The Number One Car drove me everywhere, before I knew how to get anywhere on my own. My Nonno’s car was always present. When he lost his license, he was never the same. He lost his independence and his freedom.
He kept it parked in his driveway and let nobody tow it away. If a passerby wanted to get a look, he’d teleport outside. My Nonno loved his car, almost as if it were a pet horse. Years passed, and the tires flattened. It’s still there today. Time continues to wear it away.