Vintage military planes fly high in art exhibit

If there's one medium that you wouldn't expect to see being taken on by graffiti and other contemporary artists, it's military aeroplanes.

But thanks to the folk behind Round Trip: Art from the Boneyard Project exhibition, now on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, visitors can see just that.

Although only five full aeroplanes have been painted — out of dozens in the museum's full collection — the show also includes two cockpits and a large group of aeroplane sections, all re-imagined with an artist's flair. The exhibition, which runs through 31 May, "resurrects disused aeroplanes from America's military history through the creative intervention of contemporary artists, taking entire aeroplanes and their elements out of aeronautic resting spots in the desert, known as 'boneyards', and putting them into the hands of artists", according to a release about the show.

There are few places on the planet where an artist's rendition of a gorgeous old aircraft will better blend in with the environment than in the American southwest. The museum has a terrific collection, and now, those lucky enough to get a chance to see the exhibition will get to see some of America's most beloved military planes with a whole new lease on life.

(Credit: Jason Wawro)

Warning shot

If you're an aviation enthusiast and you've been to Tucson, Arizona, then there's a good chance you've visited the Pima Air & Space Museum, one of the country's best collections of mothballed and vintage aeroplanes.

But unless you've been in the last week, you haven't seen the exhibition of planes in the collection that have been re-imagined by a group of contemporary artists. Until 31 May, the "Round Trip: Art from the Boneyard Project" exhibition is on display at the museum, and, if you have a chance, you might want to make the trip.

As part of the exhibit, artists painted five of the collection's planes, as well as two partial cockpits. The show also includes a much broader set of nose cones and tails from a previous exhibition.

This is "Warning shot" by Retna. It is a DC3 that has been painted with ink and latex.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Time flies

This is "Time flies" by How & Nosm. It's a spray-painted DC3.
(Credit: Jason Wawro)

Spy tiger

This is Andrew Schoultz's "Spy tiger", a Lockheed V140 painted with acrylic.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Phoenix of metal

This is Nunca's "Phoenix of metal", a spray-painted DC3.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Naughty angels

This is "Naughty angels" by Faile. It is a Beechcraft C45 painted with acrylic.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Jerky jermel

This is artist Bast's "Jerky jermel", a DC3 cockpit painted with acrylic and spray paint.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Warriors of peace

Artist Saner painted this C-97 cockpit with acrylic. It is called "Warriors of peace".
(Credit: Jason Wawro)

Enos

This is Randy Slack's "Enos", a C54 propeller painted with enamel, spray paint and collage.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

10 years of war

This is "10 years of war", by Trustocorp. It is a P3 horizontal stabiliser decorated with mixed media.
(Credit: Andrew Brown)

Untitled

This is "Untitled", by artist Crash. It is a spray-painted C130 tail.

Via CNET