The Art of Luxury Issue 43 2020 | Page 21

AUTOMOTIVE DIGITAL SOUL PHANTOM CANVAS: PHANTOM | MEDIUM: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, GOLD PLATING, GOLD INLAYS The Digital Soul Phantom is a study in contemporary artisanship; a fusion of human endeavour and computer- generated design. At the heart of this Carrara White with Smokey Quartz two-tone Phantom is a Gallery created by Product Designer Thorsten Franck. An individual’s characteristics are interpreted by an algorithm which translates the data into a swathe of 3D-printed stainless steel. This is then hand-polished and plated in 24-carat gold, resulting in a unique artwork that embodies jewellery, sculpture and architecture. Gold detailing embellishes the interior of the motor car, with Gold inlays set by hand in Smoked Eucalyptus wood and gold-plated speaker grilles concluding the aesthetic. WRAITH EAGLE VIII COLLECTION CANVAS: WRAITH | MEDIUM: GOLD VACUUM METALIZED WOOD WITH SILVER AND COPPER INLAYS To mark the centenary of the first non-stop transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown in June 1919, Rolls-Royce created 50 extraordinary Wraiths in the Wraith Eagle VIII Collection. The story of their perilous night-time journey, propelled by Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, is told using Wraith as a canvas. A unique starlight headliner with 1,183 fibre-optic lights depicts the night time sky at the time of their flight. The flight path and constellations are embroidered in brass thread and the exact moment the pair left the clouds, also illustrated in embroidery, and navigated by the stars is indicated by a red fibre-optic light. Brass speaker covers depict the estimated 1,880- mile flight distance whilst a brass plaque engraved with Winston Churchill’s stirring quote commending the pair’s remarkable achievement adorns the driver’s door. The Smoked Eucalyptus fascia, vacuum metalized in gold and inlaid with silver and copper, depicts a birds-eye view of the Earth at night, showing a light map of roads and homes glittering below. Issue 43 2020 The Art of Luxury 21