Meet the Team: Art and Design at Black Forest LLC

I get one of two responses when I tell people I work at a Mercedes-Benz restoration shop: “That’s awesome. What’s the coolest car you have?” Or “Why would an auto shop need a designer and artist?” Understandable questions, but if you spend even an hour in the shop I think you'd see just how much there truly is for an artist and graphic designer to do when it comes to a full-service restoration shop.

My name's Dan Fleming and I've been working on and off at Black Forest for the last decade with the last few years in the shop full-time. I am a graphic designer, artist and illustrator who has worked with countless brands, shown in galleries across the nation, and sold work to private and public collections all over the world. When I first encountered Black Forest LLC I was just out of college (art school at that) and hadn’t owned anything more interesting than a Ford Focus. I’d always kept an eye on car design and history, and knew enough to change oil, but I would never have called myself a “car guy”. It wasn’t the mechanics that brought me to Black Forest, it was the unique approach to a storied brand that seemed to welcome creativity into the garage. In fact, what specifically got my attention was a swing axle they had hanging in the window (seen above) with each component painted a vibrant color, almost like a diagram you’d see in a textbook. As a generally curious person, I reached out to see if they would be open to hosting a Mercedes-inspired art show and to my delight they said yes. That was pretty much all I needed to get started on my first collection of Mercedes-inspired art and got me going down a road I had never considered.

Fast-forward a decade and I’m back in the shop (following a short hiatus) and we’re not only talking art and design this time around. From office management to rebuilding the website, making videos, writing, and taking care of all photography needs, the history of Mercedes-Benz (and preserving that history) has become a major part of my everyday life. While these avenues of creativity and attention to history have helped the business stand out in an ever-growing cacophony of online noise, it reaches further than that; providing unparalleled access into forgotten technologies and building a reservoir of essential knowledge regarding one of the longest standing brands in automotive history alongside the many trails, tangents and side-stories that happened along the way.

One obvious reason to have someone like me at the shop is the actual documentation of items, issues and processes, using photography, video and writing. Believe it or not, everything on the website from the words to the photos to the videos to the words on the videos were created in-house by yours truly with help from our technicians and owner, all inspired by projects we have going on in the shop. Much of this information has been lost to time (and if not is only found in vintage German manuals) and it's part of my job to bring it back to life for current and future generations. On a day-to-day basis this keeps our clients informed and projects up to date. From a birds-eye-view we're building a repository for Mercedes-Benz restoration information and practices and establishing Black Forest as the go-to source for Mercedes-Benz knowledge.

Beyond the information, it's about enhancing engagement with the brand, community and clients and creating an atmosphere that makes restoration about more than just getting a car back on the road. Further, with art and design we can connect with clients and fans of the brand on another level, taking their passions beyond the garage and into their homes, giving them more options to interact with the vehicle, Black Forest and the brand.

On the personal side of things, I've always enjoyed having a project in front of me. Whether that's a logo, poster, video, mural, or random canvas in the studio, I am in my element when there's something creative to be done and even more so when that creativity has a destination. At Black Forest I am given free reign (to an extent) to explore the brand and business and create using a wide variety of media. From using my personal art style to developing a more realistic approach, the automotive world provides ample subjects and avenues to explore creativity and has helped me develop and hone my skills as the years pass, opening up countless opportunities for freelance and commissions.

If I'm just making art for myself I typically stick to a much more expressionistic style featuring vibrant colors, figures and symbols. Nothing is preplanned and unless I have a show on the calendar, it's all just done for my own enjoyment. Whether it ends up in the studio, in storage or gets sold through my online shop or gallery connections, this creativity is a bit more like a compulsion: Anytime I'm sitting still you'll likely find a canvas or sketchbook in my hand. With a focus on landscape and the figure, it's about taking a step away from the material world, to a degree.

All that said, like the automotive art, commissions are always a fun departure from my personal style. In some ways, projects like the paintings below are actually a bit more relaxing for me. Instead of creating my own image it's a bit more like putting a puzzle together; there's a visible, concrete destination whereas I'm always finding my way when it comes to my own art. I would never trade one for the other, but I think exploring a wide variety of creative outlets is essential in improving overall despite many people not seeing much of a connection between fine art, illustration and graphic design. Automotive painting, like I've done for Black Forest, has improved my ability to adapt to a project's needs and feel confident no matter what the ask, plus it's opened the door to more commissions, more freelance, and more projects overall.

Design and art have been major parts of automobile history since before Bertha Benz took her now-famous "first road trip" catapulting Mercedes-Benz to eventual worldwide fame. We're simply taking that next step on a long-travelled road, making sure we keep history alive and well even in a world that continues to sway toward the newest and greatest shiny object.

You can find more from Dan Fleming on instagram at @dflemingpainting and @danflemdraws. Check out his website HERE. Contact us today to get your project planned or check out the rest of our website for more info and insight. Also make sure to check out the art and collectibles page to see what we've got on that side of things and send us a message if you have a commission in mind, no matter what the subject.