Vanquish
Start configuration
Two British masters.
One epic sculpture
SEE THE VANQUISH REIMAGINED AS AN EPIC SCULPTURE
There’s a moment, standing in front of an Aston Martin, when you forget it’s a machine.
The lines pull at you. The light moves differently across its surface. It feels alive - a perfect balance of engineering and artistry that takes it beyond something functional to something emotional.
For more than a century, Aston Martin has had that power. More than a collection of parts, these cars make you feel something. The passion that shapes them is visible in every curve. It’s why artists and musicians - from Paul McCartney and George Harrison to Mick Jagger - have loved and owned them. Why creatives like Ian Rankin and Robi Walters have drawn inspiration from them.
They’ve had that effect on British born contemporary artist Anthony James since he was a kid. “I’d research every Aston Martin and its Le Mans winners from the late fifties,” he says.
That fascination never left him. Decades later, it’s taken the shape of an epic sculpture unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Unveiled at the Chateau Marmont ahead of Los Angeles’ Frieze Art Fair in March 2025, ‘Reflections of Speed’ is a five-metre-long light sculpture built around - and in tribute to - the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Commissioned by Aston Martin and created in partnership with The Art Newspaper, it’s a cathedral of glass, steel and LEDs: 6,000 pounds of industrial material transformed into a kaleidoscopic world, with the Vanquish at its glowing centre.
Aston Martin’s Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, describes the Vanquish as a “sculpture in motion”. That’s very much embodied in this piece - reflections seem to stretch into infinity. “My goal was to celebrate the car from every perspective - to showcase it from every angle,” James says.
No outside light gets in. “You only see what’s happening inside,” he says. Almost as if the car exists in a state of constant, never-ending admiration.
Creating ‘Reflections of Speed’ was no small feat. The process took over a year. James originally saw sketches of the Vanquish, then spent months studying a full-scale model before moving into the intricate fabrication process, building to the car’s exact dimensions. “It fits like a glove,” he says.
Every part was designed and made in his studio. Every seam and surface crafted to disappear. James’ process is meticulous - shaped by years of experimentation with industrial materials, from hand-hammered car bodies to bronze and copper.
“I try to eliminate any visible traces of the fabrication process,” James says. “So the focus remains on the optical illusions and the philosophy behind the work.”
That relentless pursuit - refining until something transcendent emerges - mirrors Aston Martin’s own design philosophy. As Aston Martin design director Miles Nurnberger put it, “You can see the love and care and obsession that’s been put into them.”
It’s no wonder James sees the car itself as a work of art in its own right: “I’ve always thought of Aston Martin itself as an art form,” he says.
‘Reflections of Speed’ is slated for auction, with all proceeds benefiting Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum and the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund - an emergency resource supporting artists and arts workers affected by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
So, be inspired. Explore Vanquish below - the piece of art that inspired a work of art.
