By Courtesy of the
Houston Chronicle

HoustonChronicle.com
June 23, 2003, 11:21AM

Cars of Cadillac Ranch painted black after Houston artist's death.

RESOURCES

• Obituary: Doug Michels, noted architect, co-founder of Ant Farm design group. 1943-2003.

The famous vintage Cadillacs planted nose down in a Panhandle wheat field have taken on a somber tone.

The 10 cars in the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo lost their graffiti and were painted black Sunday to honor Doug Michels, the site's architect and artist, who died June 12. He was 59.

Michels was a founding member of Ant Farm, a radical art and design collective that designed and installed the landmark in 1974 for Amarillo businessman and art patron Stanley Marsh 3.

Michels, who was based in Houston, died in a climbing accident near Sydney, Australia, while working as a consultant on a movie about whales, according to the New York Times.

Marsh, who remained good friends with Michels, said he consulted with Michels' parents and former members of Ant Farm before deciding to paint the Cadillacs black.

In 1994, Michels was in Amarillo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ranch.

The cars' multihued colors and graffiti likely will return in time, Marsh said.