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past present future
past present future
alkyd on license plates, steel
7' x 16'
2021

This sculptural mural was commissioned by Phoenix Raceway in 2021 for NASCAR Championship Weekend, it is comprised of almost 2000 repurposed license plates. The plates are woven together in a pattern that references the checkered flag. Together they form the shape of a mountain, an extension of the Estrella Mountain range that surrounds Phoenix Raceway. As a landscape painter and muralist, Best focused on the unique placement and history of Phoenix Raceway in the Sonoran Desert. The colors of the sky shift from sunrise to midday to sunset just as the imagery shifts from past to present to future. A dynamic band of blue encircles the piece, it is at once a track, a river, and a path toward the future.