5 Minutes with Max Grundy
You may not know his face, but his artwork is instantly recognizable. Max Grundy has been creating art all his life but has built a career out of his unique take on hot rod artwork. After college, Max taught art for a few years before he and his wife Candice (also an artist), decided to go all-in on the hot rod art lifestyle by packing up and leaving Utah for SoCal over 20 years ago.
Max credits many different inspirations for his vintage propaganda/industrial artwork style, ranging from World War II to skateboard shops and even toy packaging. He’s created work for the SEMA Show, designed and built hot rods and customs, and continues to create work that is rooted in adventure and the spirit of the open road. We were lucky to catch Max for a few minutes in between painting his new house and designing fresh works. Check out his work at: Max Grundy Design.
GG: Did you have any formal automotive design training?
Max Grundy: Not specifically in automotive, but I have my BFA in Illustration from Weber State University and received my MFA from BYU with a minor in Art History. After college I taught art at a couple colleges in Utah, covering everything from basic design to Photoshop, drawing, and storyboards. My automotive experience mostly comes from my family. My dad always had muscle cars and did some racing. He also had a chopped Merc, so that helped!
GG: What came first, your talent for drawing or your passion for hot rodding?
Grundy: Art was always there. I was making art as far back as I can remember, painting, drawing, sculpting. Hot rodding stemmed from growing up in a car family. My dad and brothers always had muscle cars. I liked classic trucks and lowriders. I then moved into the ’50s cars and customs. My dad taught me a lot about cars. He wasn’t sure what to do with his artistic son, so we bonded over cars! It’s funny because my son is all about cars.
GG: When did you realize you could make a living in automotive art?
Grundy: I really liked teaching but still had a desire to follow my art calling. My wife, Candice, and I made a plan to go all-in and packed up everything we owned in a small U-Haul and headed to SoCal to immerse ourselves in the hot rod scene. The timing was right as traditional hot rodding, rat rods, and rockabilly were huge. We started going to art shows and car shows everywhere we could. I had a part-time teaching job, but I remember doing the Mooneyes Christmas show in about 2006, and we had a couple card tables with some prints and tees, and we ended up making $800 in one day – the most we’d ever made! A year later, I quit teaching and we were living off art.
GG: Where is your industrial/propaganda style rooted?
Grundy: My brother and I were both into World War II history and our bedroom was packed with vintage airplane models. My artwork has been inspired by propaganda posters and design from all cultures, but it also comes from the skateboard and snowboarding scenes. The art, the music, the fashion! Going into the skate shop was exciting with the smell of fresh wheels and the bold board designs. Another big influence is from toy packaging like the Transformers and other commercial design work.
GG: What is your best era for automotive design?
Grundy: I’m definitely a custom car guy and like anything from the ’50s, but I’m a huge fan of the Forward Look Mopar styling of Virgil Exner. It was so intense! The low roof lines, big fins, so futuristic and right on the verge of being ugly, but very refined. Traditional customs are my favorite – chopped tops and wide whites!
GG: Do you find social media helpful? And what are your thoughts on AI?
Grundy: Social media is now a necessity. It’s almost like the magazines used to be. Different, but we have to adjust. There are some positives to social media, like being able to get your art out in front of people. I’m concerned about AI and art in the future. There will be benefits, but I don’t feel it will be helpful for artists. I feel that down the road there will be a newfound desire and appreciation for hand-made and created work.
GG: Any advice for young artists with a passion for automotive design?
Grundy: College isn’t for everyone, but attending will open your experience to so many different views, styles, mediums, and input. I would say to learn from as many designers and artists as you can. Focus on your passion, make your art, get involved, and things will come together. Try not to worry about money, don’t let it hold you back…you have to take that step into the unknown and it’s not easy. The money sort of happens after you put in the time, effort, and sweat.
GG: What was your first car and what is currently parked in your garage?
Grundy: My first car was a ’52 Chevy truck. My dad found it in Idaho, and it was painted like their license plate – red, white, and blue all the way around with airbrushed mountains. He thought it was a perfect combination of a cool old truck with an artsy style. I drove it all through high school. We currently have a purple ’60 Dodge we had at SEMA last year, a COE, a ’66 Buick that looks like an old CIA cruiser, a ’55 Pontiac with a camper installed, and a few other projects.
GG: What’s it like to have your ’50 Mercury back after selling it 15 years ago.
Grundy: It feels like no time has gone by with the car! It has a different engine and some stripe work, but man, the car has the same soul it had when I sold it. It was the first car I ever did a full build on and even after all these years, the car drives and feels the same.
