Lecture: Auto Opium: Utility versus Style

Thursday, May 2, 2019

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Lecture: Auto Opium: Utility versus Style

Thursday, May 2, 2019

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Two competing visions of an automobile’s purpose have divided the auto industry for decades. Engineers often view cars as useful tools for transportation, while designers see cars as carriers of cultural meaning. David Gartman, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of South Alabama, leads the discussion. Gartmen grew up in Texas and is the son of an oil refinery worker. His books include Auto Slavery, Auto Opium, and From Autos to Architecture.

Free and open to the public. The lecture will take place in the Chiego Lecture Hall. Explore the galleries during H-E-B Free General Admission at the McNay. Admission to American Dreams: Classic Cars and Postwar Paintings is $10 at this time.

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