Winston-Salem, NC -- Cigarette vending machines have become a thing of the past, so why is Clark Whittington gobbling them up? Because he turns these old relics into art vending machines.
Whittington created Art-O-Mat in 1997 as a way to utilize his skills as a graphic designer. No longer being used; the machines are found in barns all across the United States.
After he purchases them he strips them down and begins the transformation. It includes new paint, glass, knobs and whatever else Whittington feels is necessary to make them look new again. The process takes anywhere from three to six months.
The art comes in many forms but they all have one trait. They must conform to the dimensions of a pack of cigarettes 2 1/8 by 3 3/8 by 7/8.
One of his prized Art-O-Mat machines sits in The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.