The Boneyard Project Brings Old Planes To Life

One man's junk is another man's treasure. We've all heard it before, but seldom do we get examples that exemplify the saying as well as the Boneyard Project at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

Using disused WWII aircraft as the canvas, a notable cast of international artists have invaded the yard, adding their own flair to the forgotten metal giants.

You can see the first example below:

Retna, Warning Shot, 2011, Ink and Latex on DC super 3, 203 x 776 x 1,142"

The concept, coined by Eric Firestone in 2010 after the success of the "Nose Job" exhibition at his eponymous gallery, invites a slew of artists from far and wide to try their hand at decorating their own WWII plane. Curated with the help of Carlo McCormick and Lesley Oliver, the artists represent a range of disciplines and styles. From the symbolic typography of Retna to the dream-like scenes of Nunca and the vivid brush strokes of Andrew Schoultz, the Boneyard Project gives flight to the viewer's fantasies.

In addition to the painted behemoths, work from Firestone's previous "Nose Job" show will also make an appearance. Featuring the work of everyone from Richard Prince and Shepard Fairey to Futura and Tara McPherson, the addition completes the one-two punch combo of aviation art madness.

Walter Robinson, For Hearth and Home, 2011, Oil on F101 aircraft nose cone, 58 x 39 x 39"

As a truly inventive experience, the Boneyard Project straddles the line between exploring a different surface for these massive works and paying homage to the paint jobs that your granddaddy's plane could have sported when he donned the bomber jacket. Regardless if you came for the planes or came for the art, the Boneyard Project offers an experience unlike any other. Check out a slideshow of even more awesome plane art below.

The Boneyard Project will be on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum until March 31, 2012

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article insinuated that all of the planes used were bombers when, in fact, a variety of planes were used.

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Comments

[Freevo]

05:30 AM on 04/26/2012

Pretty impressive and on a grand scale. Yes, it's art.

[Tom Servo]

02:35 PM on 02/28/2012

Cool ! I like airplanes and art, so this is great !

[OutAtFirst]

04:21 PM on 02/23/2012

I like to check this facility out every now and then on GoogleEarth. They're all lined up in rows according to type of aircraft. It's pretty impressive.

[William Wray]

06:04 PM on 02/22/2012

so sad I'd have loved to have seen these old beasts in person before they were ruined.

[pikappa77]

11:41 AM on 02/22/2012

A bit to outre for my taste. Looks like graffiti to me.

[Date Tall Singles Here]

11:05 AM on 02/22/2012

Southwest here is your chance to step out.

[pascalmusicman]

10:34 AM on 02/22/2012

please don't tell me tax dollars financed any part of this project. please tell me it was totally privately funded.

[Jason Wawro]

04:36 PM on 02/22/2012

It was privately funded.

[Gaspar Ramsey]

11:13 AM on 02/23/2012

Please tell me none of my tax dollars funded any part of your education. Please tell me it was totally privately funded.

[azted123]

09:54 AM on 02/22/2012

Save the artistic works and use passenger plane as transportation units, Remove the engines, wings and tails and with a bit of modification turn them into passenger carriers like up in the air mono-rails. They have seats in them, bathrooms, kitchens and will carry up to 100 passengers. A bit of modification and they would be perfect. Electric driven they could achieve several hundred miles per hour with out any chance of hitting cars trucks, or something on the track. Across country in a day. Just my crazy idea that could be use by a airline during bad weather and for those that do not like flying high. Southwest here is your chance to step out.

[James Bridges]

01:54 PM on 02/22/2012

Interesting but I doubt the structural integrity needed is there. Cheaper to start from scratch. Melt these old things down and use the metal.

[azted123]

11:01 AM on 02/25/2012

Hi James: thanks for your comment, Are you talking about the Structure of the aircraft or of the Rail in the Sky? My idea is that if you can fly the aircraft loaded with say 100 to 200 passengers why wouldn't it be a easier thing to place it on a overhead rail with electric motors to move along at speeds at say 70 feet in the air. What makes it less stable or I should say less airworthy at 70 feet up then at 30,000 feet up in air? The development of Mag-Lav system is moving along quite fast and might even be a better means for propulsion. I have been in Aviation most of my life and if it can fly it should be able to do the same at lower hights. Best Regards