Artist Johans Lamic has a way of converting aerodynamic hardware into static sculptures
Johans Lamic is a commercial pilot, basketball enthusiast and Porsche connoisseur with an eye for nostalgic design. When the Palma de Mallorca resident purchased a stone grey ’84 911 Carrera Targa and decided to backdate it to a 1960s long nose style, one of the first things to go was its whale tail—the large, flat rear spoiler primarily employed in 911 Turbo (a.k.a. 930) models.
Though it wasn’t quite right for the car, the hardware was too pretty to toss, a conundrum which eventually led to the light-bulb moment of transforming it into an object d’art. Tail begat tail, and before long the lanky Lamic was launching a series of exhibits featuring the uniquely decorated automotive pieces.
There’s a bit of inventiveness required to making each sculpture look so effortless. Using actual FIA-spec rollbar material within the tail, an infrastructure is built to support itself internally. A paint drip form is incorporated into the leading edge of the wing, creating a sense of fluid movement that echoes the idea of airflow. The result is a visual play on hydro and aero dynamics, adding a tangible element of movement and motion to an object that is destined to remain static.
Under collaboration with business manager Susan Frania, Lamic’s project is limited to nine sets of 11—get it?—and draws upon the vast library of inside baseball visual references to the Porsche microcosm. There are “Pink Pig” liveries, hat tips to the Martini racing 917s which dominated Le Mans, Tag Heuer references with accompanying certificates of authenticity similar to the 911’s distinctive tool pouches, not to mention the inevitable Gulf livery treatments. “Jägermeister” is the eighth of nine, and will be released September 24, 2022.
The limited production nature of the Whale Tail Project has faced its own challenges as the market and prices for Porsche parts has heightened since Lamic took it in 2019; as the supply of tails become scarcer, the material prices continue to climb. Among the highlights of this soon-to-be completed series is a signed scrapbook delivered to Formula 1 legend Jacky Ickx on the occasion of his 77th birthday. The compilation of written notes and photographs accompanies the Whale Tail which was acquired by Ickx, proving that even motorsports heroes appreciate sculptural mementos of kinetic glory.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA
