A modern jet aircraft is the ultimate expression of form defined by function, combining engineering and design in a highly complex machine which, as a single entity, is also an object of grace and beauty and well as power and ingenuity. As such, the aircraft itself is a worthy object of display, and many such after having given good service find their ways into museums and air parks where they provide entertainment, fascination and education to generations of adults and children. But not the Tate gallery ...

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I wholeheartedly agree. The present trussing of aircraft is meaningless tripe. Ignorance and perverted values. If only we had a government with the small amount of courage it would take to examine 'Arts' funding, and then cut it drastically. Enough of bloody Serota and the Tate, enough of bloody Gormley (or should that be Gormless) desecrating the countryside and towns with his preposterous rusting men, enough of giant white horses (even at Ebbsfleet), enough of the Turner Prize (he must be positively revolving in his grave) - enough of spending OUR money on parasites who think we owe them a living. Plenty more could be said.

It's not news that this country and it's culture are in terminal decay. No recovery is possible. Raging about it is futile. Long after the predators and parasites have disposed of the corpse and have themselves been weakened, something new may grow. We won't see it.

Oh come off it! Every museum in the country can have a harrier or jag if it wants one and the rest will be torn up by JCB's never to be seen again. They are scrap metal and and if anything it's just another way to display them. That the work itself is a bit twattish, shallow and largely talentless is the real issue, but that applies to just about everything else in modern art. If you want to see aircraft as they should be seen you go to Hendon, Cosford, Duxford, Elvington, Yeovilton, Midlands Aeropark, Lothians, Newark, etc etc etc etc. And that Harrier is an FRS2 and not the type that "helped save the Falklands". I expect better from this blog.

Pipe and slippers are in the post Dr North.

I understand that the Sea Harrier was written off following an accident on landing rather than being an example of a prematurely retired operational aircraft. I'm not sure of the origin of the Jaguar (XZ118 according to the Mail) but, bearing in mind your many posts on the suitability or otherwise of equipment deployed to Afghanistan, it's worth noting that this aircraft type was withdrawn from service just 3 years after the introduction of a highly effective systems upgrade which would have made it a most suitable and cost-effective asset to be deployed in support of ground forces in Afghanistan.

-- Iain

Richard,

I'm a huge supportor of your work. I pass much of your stuff on to my large Facebook group,

But, PLEASE, on the basis of this last post, don't become a grumpy old man.

I see this this exhibition as a nice counteraction to the worrying milatrism of of our culture.

I have worn the uniform, yet I an am concerned about the glorification of war in these crazy times.

Keep up the great work.

Paul.

What are you smoking?

Don't wear slippers and given up smoking! The Harrier "type" is the the TYPE that helped save the Falklands ... me too pedantic. But the point you make is exactly the point: the work itself is a bit twattish, shallow and largely talentless. How different is could have been if the real thing, in all its glory, had been given pride of place ... celebration instead of sneer. That's my point - we put the energy into "sneers rather than cheers" - and yes, I can talk. I shall go away and celebrate my own inconsistency.

x x x x x

And Hey! I thought I did "grumpy" quite well ... obviously, I'm going to have to practice a bit!!!!

Little bit of a re-write in order ...

For the record, the Science museum also hangs aircraft at silly angles...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/377 ... 7812d3.jpg

How many weeks have you been off the cigarettes??

I wouldn't take it to heart.... I agree with another poster.... It's not the fact that it is a plane that offends... Just the fact that its rubbish.... It really is rubbish.... I'm with Ivan Massow ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jan/1 ... reducation

I was going to say that you've got the photo the wrong way up, but then I saw you were talking about the Science Museum. Yea ... they're part of the problem.

Too bloody long and not long enough ... not long enough to forget the pleasure but long enough to forget the pain.

as for Massow ... Yay!!!!

But I still find it offensive that she uses aircraft ... I'd sooner see them scrapped and melted down, than abused in this way.

The planes are beautiful examples of modern sculpture and are displayed with respect in a gorgeous setting.

If the MOD don't want exhibitions like this then they ought not sell the planes off to art galleries.

I love EuRef and all of your work, the planes are works of art.

What you are missing is that it is her very lack of understanding, her complete ignorance of the engineering and history that she is displaying.
To socialists bone-numbing stupidity is a point of pride since understanding anything at all shows an elitist attitude.
Sadly in times of plenty great groups of people, crippled by creativity to the extent that they've lost all discernment, form braying groups of self-aggrandisement.
The Arts are about to experience a drought that will leave them flapping in the mud of dried out puddles.

This flew over us on Sunday, as I wallowed in the pool...I thought someone had put something in the water!

http://www.heritageaviation.com/index.htm