Art attack: Gallery 1988 vs. Hot Wheels

Jon Burgerman’s VW ‘canvas’

While fine art purists may object to anything other than archival organic cotton canvases, we'd be hard pressed to find someone cantankerous enough to snub Hot Wheels. Everyone's favorite baby cars are turning 40 this year and getting placed on a pedestal starting April 1, when the belovedly hip Gallery 1988 unveils the group “Toys.”

Included in the lineup are a slew of automotive-inspired 2-D pieces, as well as a handful of customized 9-inch VW buses tricked out by artists such as Jon Burgerman, who used a teensy tiny brush to rust his up (pictured). What is the fuel economy like on a 9-inch car? We can dream…