What to do With 2500 of Your Old Cameras - Feature

Who: Harrod Blank, 46, Artist
What: Camera Van
Where: Douglas,Arizona
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How many cameras are on it?

More than 2500, inside and out. I made it into a darkroom in the back, and there’s a light-meter collection on the dashboard so when I’m driving and the light filters through the windshield, the needles are all moving. I have shutter buttons that control the cameras that work.

What was it before the transformation?

A ’72 Dodge one-ton van. I got a heavy-duty version because it’s carrying a lot of weight.

How much does it weigh?

I never weighed it. I know the door itself is 500 pounds.

You weighed the door?

I’m guessing. You can feel it when you open it.

Why?

I started doing art cars at age 16. My first was “Oh My God!” in 1979, which started out as a white 1965 VW Beetle that I never stopped decorating. I wanted to show people what it was I saw while driving it around. I couldn’t take a picture—they’d react to the camera. One night in ’93, I had a dream that I covered my car with cameras and drove around taking pictures.

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