Artist Nick Rice, who goes by the nickname “BackCountry,” fuses steel, propane, and horsepower together to create powerful works of art that set the imagination on fire.
His most recent show-stopper is a roaring 4x4 rat rod called Eastie Beastie the Third that shoots flames from stacks on the hood and rusted gears from its roof. Or you may catch Nick rolling to an event in his ‘58 Ford Apache truck that shoots fire flumes from hot air balloon burners that are huddled in the bed.
Nick describes his artistic style as “Southwest Steampunk” which merges his fascination with old mechanics, futuristic industrialism, and period-correct antiques with his love for Southwest architecture and prehistoric Native American artifacts.
His creations are mostly inspired by his daily life on his 40-acre, off-the-grid homestead east of Snowflake, Arizona, where he stays busy welding in his shop, pulling vintage campers out of fields, and picking treasures from scrap yards.
