When Chris Burden, the California-based artist, was asked by his gallery (Gagosian in Beverly Hills) to arrange a summer show, he didn't go in for half measures. He wanted immediacy, and the clarity of opposition. On one side of the gallery he parked a bulldozer, on the other side a Lotus roadster. Mission accomplished.

To find the historic vehicles, Burden had to look no further than his own collection. The tractor, a 5,000 pound 1954 T6 Crawler is a beast. It normally sits behind his studio in Topanga Canyon, and he uses it regularly. The very opposite? A temperamental 1973 Lotus Europa, weighing in at bantam-weight 1,500 pounds—the epitome of sporting performance and almost willful fragility.

Brought down from his studio on a flat bed truck, the newly designated art objects were backed through a door on Camden Street and into the pristine gallery. They are ccompanied only by some large Polaroids of the artist and his assistant posing with the vehicles.

Meanwhile, the contrast between them is striking. The bulldozer is a beautiful mess, while the Lotus is simply beautiful. The T6 Crawler is covered in rust, has a deteriorating seat of broken springs, a couple of untrustworthy fire extinguishers, and a large spider web across the dash. It looks like it will be around forever. The Europa, on the other hand, has looks that are fetching, but decidedly high maintenance. It has lovely tan leather seats, parachute canvas seat belts, and perfect British green racing stripes down the hood. It must be a pleasure to take out on the Pacific Coast Highway. 'It's so unreliable,' Burden told me, 'I don't dare drive it.'

Also on view is a video documenting Burden's wonderful piece from 2004, Metropolis. An elaborate erector set is the structure for a roller-coaster of elevated lanes of Hot Wheels cars that speed through a town of Lincoln Logs, Legos, plastic models, and castle towers. As the cars zip through the town, we hear their continuous hum. The way they swarm one after another it seems as if there's an infinite number (there are, in truth, only 80).

The piece itself is in Japan, but the documentary video documention is the pleasure. Coming soon is an expanded Metropolis 2, which is currently under construction and judging from a sneak preview at Burden's studio, will be extraordinary. Each car is being modified to Burden's specifications (about $40 worth of work per car). And, since any sequel has to have better effects, this time there will be 5 lanes, 1200 cars, custom built grooved tracks. Best of all: an expected viewing in the States.

The current show is perfect for LA, where endless time on the road and close identification with one's car is so acute. As anybody who's pulled up to a swank hotel in a boxy rental can attest, the discreet, but undeniable disapproval of the valet attendant can be a painful experience. This white Corolla—it's not who I am. That's not a problem for Burden, who also has a plum 1978 Porsche, among other old rides. He must love hitting the road. 'It's really weird,' he said, 'I live in LA but I hardly ever drive.'

digg this | add to del.icio.us | add to reddit | add to newsvine

[To discuss this article—or to comment on anything in the magazine or on mensvogue.com—visit the Men's Vogue Forum.]