The Art in War

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: closing November 11, 2018

All wars are terrible and World War I's trench warfare have always seemed to me to be especially barbaric.  Stuck in filthy conditions for an endless period of time, with the fear of death a constant presence, how people survived this, let alone made art, is incredible.  Nonetheless, there were artists in the trenches and elsewhere near the front lines, and their work is on display at the Air and Space Museum.

Side note: Why Air and Space?  There's not a particular focus on pilots or airplanes, so the location doesn't really make sense.  American Art would be more understandable, or the Ripley.  But Air and Space is where this is, so to Air and Space you must go to see it.  Keep in mind, it's summer as I type this, so the Mall is thick with family groups.  Expect running, screaming and masses of people, pretty much par for the course at A&S.

The wall notes posit that the artistic expression in WWI contributed to how societies see war, as this was the first time the reality of battle had been brought to the notice of the civilian populations.   I wonder if this is true; the photos of dead soldiers in the American Civil War brought combat home quite directly.  I don't think anyone by the time of the early 20th century was truly under any illusions about the reality of war.  The government recruitment posters certainly painted a rosy picture of noble men making the world safe for democracy, but surely most people would have realized that was more propaganda than anything else.

Something I didn't realize is that even though the U.S. declared war in April of 1917, the first American troops didn't arrive in Europe until early 1918.  I know you can't assemble an army of volunteers overnight, but eight months of delay is a long time, especially to those soldiers counting on the U.S. troops to turn the tide of the war in their favor.

There were eight professional illustrators embedded with the American Expeditionary Force, specifically with the Engineer Corps of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  They created over 700 works which, after a display in the 1920s, have been largely unseen since.  This show is a selection of those works, along with works by regular soldiers.  Among the professionals' works, The Sentry, by Harvey Thomas Dunn, was the one that stuck with me - the eyes of the soldier depicted just stared out at nothing, really haunting.

The soldier artists created cave paintings (that was another fact I learned - soldiers lived in caves, as well as trenches for long periods of time during the war).  These focus on their homes and families - what they hope to return to.  They have been lost to view, as the caves are on private land.  A photographer traveled to France to record these works, so what you see are his photographs.

Verdict: Very moving show, an unsentimental look at a terrible conflict from those who lived it.  Highly recommended.

Both an Advertisement and an Arcade

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through January 2016

As long time readers are well aware, Air and Space is possibly my least favorite Smithsonian Museum.  It's always crowded, usually with noisy boys running madly from rocket to rocket, and gawping parents, stopping every three steps to look at the space ships hanging from the ceiling.  Don't misunderstand me, I've seen some good things here, mostly in the gallery devoted to art (the photographs of the planets is one of the best things I've seen ever), but as a general rule, I don't view a trip to Air and Space with the happy anticipation I experience when contemplating a trip to the Sackler.

Today's voyage did nothing to change my view of Air and Space, although I think this exhibit will delight many visitors.  It's called "Above and Beyond," and it deals with innovation in flight.  Since flight, whether on Earth or into space, is nothing but innovation, this is not much of a stretch.  There's plenty to talk about and lots to do.

It's a brand new display, very bright and shiny and interactive.  It reminded me strongly of an arcade filled with games, although it occurs to me that such places are probably passe now that everyone has a game system at home.  You see the family happily positioning themselves as flying birds in the picture - it's lots of that sort of thing.  Videos and simulations are the order of the day.

I also noticed that Boeing is the sponsor of this exhibit.  Their name is featured prominently throughout, and in the video I watched, I learned about some new products they are working to develop.  I was too weary from being interacted with to develop a full rationale for why this bothered me, but it did and still does.  I'm bombarded by advertising every where I look; I'd like my museums to be commercial-free.

Verdict: If you've got children or if you're a fan of games, run right over to Air and Space.  Otherwise, you can give this a miss.

Spirit & Opportunity: 10 Years Roving across Mars

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through September 14, 2014

As much as I don't care for the Air and Space Museum generally, I have seen some wonderful exhibits here.  They've been the ones that feature photographs; there was one about the planets that was phenomenal, and the one of the underside of jets was really interesting as well.  This is another in that vein: it's photographs sent back by the two Rovers that were sent to Mars ten years ago.

The original goal was for them to spend a few months and travel about one kilometer.  Instead they've traveled long distances and although Spirit gave up the ghost after six years, Opportunity is still going strong.  For all that you hear about government waste and cost overruns, this program has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams and continues to provide useful information about our neighboring planet.

Although Mars is close to us as far as outer space is concerned, it takes several months to get there from Earth.  The Rovers were sent to Mars to obtain information from soil and rocks, so that scientists could determine if there had ever been water on the planet.  The idea is that if there was once water, the planet could have been inhabitable.  My question is: inhabitable by whom?  I'm pretty sure there's no air on Mars, so it couldn't have been humans.  Plus, at night, Mars has temperatures of about -80 degrees, not exactly comfortable.  I assume we're talking about microbes of some sort, not "little green men."

The Rovers have sent back lots of information, as well as wonderful pictures of Mars.  It's completely serendipitous, the pictures the little gadgets send, so it's a lot like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, "You never know what you're going to get."  Some of the photos look like they could have been taken on Earth, albeit in a desert, rather than in downtown Manhattan.  There are pictures of lovely sunsets that have a familiar look to them, not alien at all.  As the wall notes said, "Other worlds can seem eerily familiar."  I didn't view it as eerie, so much as comforting; it's certainly different than my usual environment, but not incomprehensible.

It struck me, looking at the photos with the Rovers' tracks on the sand, that we humans are now leaving our traces on other planets, in addition to completely transforming Earth.  I think my favorite of all the pictures was one called "Abstract Dunes."  It's of sand dunes, with a beautiful, blue-ish light on them.

Verdict: If I enjoy an exhibit at Air and Space, despite the crowds, you know it's worth seeing!

Red Bull Stratos: Mission to the Edge of Space

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through June 26, 2014 (per Smithsonian exhibits page) through May 26, 2014 (per A&S page)

You may remember Felix Baumgartner and his trip through the sound barrier.  I thought at the time that he was a madman; that this was a ridiculous stunt and giving it TV coverage was just encouraging a crazy person.

Truth be told, I do still kind of think that you have to have a screw loose in order to free fall out of a space ship, but after seeing this display at A&S, I also see the purpose of doing it.

As the prospect of commercial space travel becomes more and more real, preparations for emergency evacuations are becoming more and more necessary.  After Baumgartner's trip, we know that human beings can survive supersonic speeds, even if they are not in a vehicle.  If you were traveling at the edge of space, you would have a way to get back to earth, even if your vehicle could not.

In addition, Baumgartner was wearing a large number of monitors, providing medical data to scientists which will doubtless be useful as space travel becomes more commonplace.

Verdict: Worth a look-see.  Both informative and exciting.  Be prepared for crowds, as with any Air and Space show.

Views of Africa

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through February 16, 2014

This exhibit is put up in conjunction with the "Earth Matters" show at the African Art Museum.  I don't remember any information about this display when I went to see "Earth Matters," but it's possible I read something about it, and just forgot.  I'm always happy to see references to other exhibits when I go to a show; it's very helpful for tourists to know that if they liked one display, there are others they might also enjoy.

This is a collection of satellite photographs of earth, featuring the continent of Africa.  As the wall notes tell us, "Applications of aerospace technology and expressions of fine art both provide new views of the world around us."  Very true, and a connection not often made.  It's a combination of style and substance: useful information packaged in gorgeous images.

It occurs to me that Air and Space really has quite a bit of art in its collection, although the vast bulk of what it owns seems to be very large, heavy objects suspended from the ceiling.  I'm never entirely comfortable walking around there, as I fear one of those rockets is going to make a final journey, right onto my head.

Setting aside my timidity (let alone my distaste for large crowds of screaming boys), this is an interesting show, especially if you like photography.  The images provide lots of information about the continent and how increasing industrialization is changing the landscape.  My favorite piece is something entitled "Rivers Flow to the Sea," a Landsat 7 Satellite image.  It looks like a painting, with the gorgeous blues of the rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.

The show does have an actual artwork, meaning something created by an artist, rather than by a satellite.  It's called "Core," and it's by Jeremy Wafer.  It focuses on the underground, so it reminded me of the "Earth Maters" show, and its several works about the underground.  The work is a set of 54 "logs" that are meant to represent core samples used to study layers of soil.  There is one for each African country and each is slightly different, showing the diversity of soils and landscapes in the continent.

Verdict:  Not your typical Air and Space show, but if you like a little art with your airplanes and rocket ships, this is the show for you.

Searching for Goldilocks

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through December 1, 2013

This is one piece, by Angela Palmer, designed to capture the work of the Kepler Space Observatory.  It is searching for "goldilocks" planets, ones that are not too hot and not too cold, and could, in theory at least, support human life.  Much to my surprise, it turns out there are any number of such planets that we've already discovered, and could be billions of them in the universe.

Palmer's piece is 18 sheets of glass with circles engraved on them to represent all the planets surveyed by Kepler.  Those that are "goldilocks" planets are a brighter white than those that are not.  It's a terrific way to see very quickly how many planets there are and how many might be hospitable to visitors.

According to the information displayed along with the piece itself, Angela Palmer has done quite a few very interesting pieces.  I'm hoping that the Smithsonian or the National Gallery might put on a show of her work, so I could learn more about her.

Verdict: This piece is located in the room that's housing the High Art exhibit, so you can easily add this to your trip.  It's interesting, and a nice combination of space exploration and art.

High Art: A Decade of Collecting

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through January 1, 2014

Although I don't think of the Air and Space Museum as an art gallery, it does have the largest collection of aerospace-themed art in the country.  These 50 works on display are part of a 7,000 piece collection.  The display is divided into three parts: Visions of Flight (which is largely abstract art with a flight motif), Faces of Flight (which are portraits of people involved in the history of flight or space exploration) and Looking Back (which is art depicting important events in flight or space exploration).

The picture shown here is by Fran Forman, who took old family photographs and combined them with pictures from different cameras using a computer to put together her final works.  I don't know that I've seen her work before, but it did seem familiar somehow, as if I'd seen something like it in another exhibit.  One of Jeffrey Milstein's works, 49 Jets, is on display; I saw a show of his work at Air and Space a while ago and liked it.  I didn't think I'd have much interest in the undercarriages of airplanes, but for some reason they are intriguing.

Of the portraits, I think the ones of Carl Sagan and Neil de Grasse Tyson are the best.  Alan Bean also has a piece in this show, and I was happy to see him again.  I'd enjoyed the show of his work I saw several years ago, on what might have been my first trip back to Air and Space since childhood.

Verdict: A nice show, manageable in a lunch hour.  Worth a stop, especially if you're here anyway for the codex.

Leonardo da Vinci's Codex on the Flight of Birds

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through October 22, 2013

I was tempted to call this blog post "Why the Sackler is better than the Air and Space Museum, " but realized I could go on forever detailing the many reasons why a trip to see Asian art in a tranquil setting is preferable to fighting your way through an army of screaming youngsters. I was reminded of the Sackler on my latest trip to Air and Space, however, and the comparison was all on the side of the Sackler.

Air and Space is currently playing host to a Leonardo da Vinci artifact, a notebook full of his observations of bird flight.  It's a remarkable item: it's hundreds of years old, it's an object that belonged to one of history's great geniuses and offers you the opportunity to see his handwriting, and the contents show the basic foundations of flight, long before the first airplane.  The commentary on the glass case says it best, "He saw the modern world before it was realized."  I'm delighted that I got to see this object and can't recommend enough to others to go and see it before it returns to Italy.

So how does the Sackler fit into this, and what's my beef with Air and Space?  It's all about the display.  You will remember that several months ago the Sackler was exhibiting the Cyrus Cylinder.  I can't possibly compare these two objects and tell you which is more important or valuable, but I can certainly say they're both priceless and vital to an understanding of the development of civilization.  They are amazing objects, and I am deeply aware of my great good fortune in being able to see them both, for free.

The Sackler set up a room for the Cylinder, painted in a dark blue color.  I didn't realize it at the time, but as I think back, the color itself served to quiet the crowds (not that they really need any quieting in the Sackler) and set a tone of seriousness.  You knew when you walked in that you were seeing something important.  The lighting was fantastic; it illuminated the Cylinder, without being too stagey.  The whole thing was very well done.

Air and Space, on the other hand, has put the da Vinci Codex in a room devoted to a display of Wright Brothers memorabilia.  I understand the tie in - the codex is all about flight, and the Wright Brothers were the first to fly a plane.  The problem is that the codex is put at the end of the exhibit, and it looks like an afterthought.  You assume that they needed a place to put the codex, and the glass case which encloses it (which is quite large), and this just seemed like a place they had some extra room.  There's a guard standing next to the case, so you do have the sense that this is an important object, but they've surrounded it with a busy display about something else.  Plus, it's right by the exit, so it doesn't encourage lingering.  And it's against a wall, so you can't walk around to get another view.  Surely they must have had quite a bit of notice that the codex was coming, was this really the best they could do?

Note that tickets are required to enter the display.  Signs indicated that you could pick these up at the IMAX theater box office, but I just walked into the room and someone was distributing them at the entrance.  If you go on a weekend, things may be different.  It seemed as if they had overestimated the interest in the codex and were trying to exercise crowd control.  It wasn't necessary on the day I went, but it might be useful as the time for the codex to leave draws closer.

The codex is part of the Year of Italian Culture.  I remember that the display of David/Apollo was also part of this celebration to take place throughout 2013.

Verdict: Go to see this object, despite the poor display.

Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation: 1912-2012

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through January 6, 2013

Yet another show at the Air and Space Museum, and once again, I walk away thinking I'm just not that interested.  This exhibit features art work depicting the history of Marine Corps Aviation.  I would describe the art as serviceable - not exactly the type of thing that would hang in an art gallery.  These are from the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

I will say, it's amazing how many things are celebrating a 100th anniversary this year: L.L. Bean, Fenway Park, Julia Child's birth, the sinking of the Titanic.  1912 was an eventful year!

The information about the early years of the Marine Corps is rather interesting, but I grew weary by the time I was reading about the many accomplishments of the Corps in Vietnam.  Marine Corps aviators started at the Naval Academy and first made a combat appearance in WWI.  Between the wars, the service floundered, but they were instrumental in turning the war against the Japanese in the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal.

Verdict:  If you're interested in military history or aviation generally, go see this exhibit.  Otherwise, you can give it a miss. 

Landsat: Four Decades of Earth Observation

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through August 20, 2012

I can never decide which Smithsonian Museum I dislike more: Air and Space or the Hirshhorn.  Long-time readers of this blog know my views on the Hirshhorn (for you newcomers, I don't like it), but I'll give you this - it's not crowded.  Air and Space, on the other hand, is a zoo.  Even the least attractive exhibits are full of people, and most of them seem to be 12-year old boys, whose only method of communication is screaming and shoving each other.  Even if I manage to ignore my fellows visitors, there's still the fact that I'm just not that interested in outer space and how we get there.

So why do I keep going back, you ask?  Well, mostly it's because I decided to go to all the Smithsonian exhibits, and that includes Air and Space, and I'm just too anal retentive to start picking and choosing now, and partly it's because I did once see a terrific show there - pictures of the planets that were breathtakingly beautiful.  I thought that perhaps this exhibit might also feature great photography, and went with higher hopes than usual.

As it turns out, I might have saved my high hopes for another exhibit, as this one was less than riveting.  The website indicates that it opened just last month, but I find that hard to believe.  The displays look as if they've been up for 20+ years; I've seen exhibits they've put up recently, and they look nothing like this.

There are a few tidbits of information I managed to glean in my time there: people have been trying to get a birds-eye view of the earth for many years - at one point, they used pigeons with cameras strapped to their chests to fly around and take pictures (the cameras were set to snap pics at pre-determined intervals, the pigeons weren't actually taking the photos).  The poor birds looked rather weighted down - one wonders how they managed to get off the ground.

Landsat allows you to look at areas of the earth over time.  Workers were getting sick at a worksite, and through the examination of old pictures of the site, it was discovered that toxic waste had been dumped there decades earlier.

A large section of the exhibit was devoted to spy planes (what seem to be the predecessor to the current drones).  I noticed on display a pilot survival kit.  For those of you who remember Dr. Strangelove, there were no prophylactics.

Verdict:  You can give this a miss; one can only hope that something more exciting will fill the space after this show is over.

NASA / ART: 50 Years of Exploration

Where: Air and Space Museum

When: through October 9, 2011

I confess to a lack of enthusiasm when I head to the Air and Space Museum.  I've discussed the reasons before, so I won't go into them again, but it takes a lot to make me think a trip there is worthwhile.  This exhibit, although not as stunning as the photographs of the planets previously on display in the same gallery, was quite good and interesting.  Plus, the kids are heading back to school, which means there are not so many families on summer vacation, and the school trips have not yet started.  Hence, the museum is less crowded now than it is at practically any other time of the year, which is nice.

This exhibit highlights some of the artwork that NASA has commissioned over the years to document the space program.  This began in 1962 and now includes over 3,000 pieces created by over 200 artists.  I think it's interesting that NASA should have begun and continued this program, that, in addition to the many photographs and documents that exist to show the agency's history, they felt that artists should play a role in this mission as well.  I was surprised at how many artists whose work I've seen in other shows appear in this one.  There are two Norman Rockwell pieces on display, that obviously were not part of the Spielberg/Lucas collections show at American Art; there is a work by Alexander Calder, whose portraits I just saw a couple of weeks ago, and even a Nam June Paik piece meant to commemorate Apollo 11 - more scribbling, I'm sorry to say.

On another note, I noticed that the gallery across from this one is now closed.  There had been an exhibit in there that looked pretty tired and dated, that I reviewed here a few months ago.  A new exhibit (I confess I don't remember the topic - space exploration is just not my thing) will be opening in 2013.  Makes you realize how long it takes to set up an exhibit, especially one that will be permanent.

Verdict: This show is worth a trip over to Air and Space.  You can see it in a lunch hour quite easily, and the crowds are not so large as they would be usually.