Cadillac Ranch

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For other uses, see Cadillac Ranch (disambiguation).

The cars seen facing east, towards Amarillo

Image:2006-08-22 - United States - Texas - Amarillo - Cadillac Ranch - Graffiti.jpg

A close up of one of the cars

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas, U.S.. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm, and it consists of what were (when originally installed during 1974) either older running used or junk 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.^[1] The piece is a statement about the paradoxical simultaneous American fascinations with both a "sense of place"—and roadside attractions, such as The Ranch itself—and the mobility and freedom of the automobile.^{[citation needed]}

Cadillac Ranch is currently located at 35°11′14″N, 101°59′13.4″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.^[2] Both sites belonged to the local millionaire Stanley Marsh 3, a supporter of the project.^[3]

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.

The Cadillac Ranch has appeared in American popular culture media. A tribute to the Cadillac Ranch was featured in the Walt Disney & Pixar film Cars. The fictional town of Radiator Springs sits at the edge of an area referenced on a map as the "Cadillac Range", and throughout the movie, rock formations shaped like the upended cars can be seen as a horizon backdrop.^[4] Much of the film's plot deals with the dying towns along Route 66. The Cadillac Ranch was also featured in a Bruce Springsteen song on his 1980 album The River.^[1]