Of Decal Dazzle

Duco, the automotive lacquer, Wikipedia informs us, was used by Jackson Pollock in his paintings. Why you may ask has this piqued my interest. A few lines from a poem by Clive James from his set of seven verse letters to friends published under the rubric of Fan-Mail report on the cars at the Indy 500. A particular passage from the letter to Martin Amis compares the decals on the cars to the illustrations of the Book of Kells. Duco figures in the passage.

The heart-throb Dayglo pulse and the Duco preen
Of decals filled the view with charms and spells
As densely drawn and brilliant as the Book of Kells.

In case you are wondering about the appropriateness of the comparison, allow me to quote a little from the DayGlo propaganda:

We're proud of our heritage and the role our fluorescents played in pop culture history. From the days of disco to punk rock and pop-art posters to graffiti on the Berlin wall - no matter the trend, no matter the event, DayGlo was there, making things brighter, bolder, and so much cooler!

It's that exuberance that James captures in his verse letter from Indianapolis. Some would consider reproducing the Book of Kells in DayGlo colours a Celtic nightmare. For others it would be a gorgeous culture clash.

And so for day 1270
05.06.2010