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AIR FORCE LANDS $1B ARTS GRANT
COLORADO SPRINGS- The United States Air Force has received a generous grant from the National
Endowment For the Arts (NEA) to commission new artwork on many of its fighter aircraft and heavy bombers.
"A lot of the pilots were getting self-conscious about the ho-hum look of these birds," explained Colonel Mike Winfield, a flight instructor at the Air Force Academy. Winfield, who flew more than 200 combat missions during operation desert storm, proudly showed off one of the newest works, a gleaming rendition of Picasso's "Guernica" gracing the tail of an F-16.
"Stealth technology was a low point in the movement," said Winfield, "It was all about NOT being seen: Boxy; Austere. That's tough for some of the guys, because it IS about looking good in your jet. They don't call this little strip of asphalt a 'runway' for nothing, baby. Make a statement. Work it with confidence."
The grant from the NEA promises to brighten up skies all over the world. For 2004, we see a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired makeover of the F-14, A surrealist take on the F-18 a la Rene Magritte, Even B-1 Bombers dressed up with serene Georgia Okeefe cloudscapes.
A portion of the USAF's $1 Billion windfall will pay for restoration and conservation of W.W. II era artwork, such as the toothy snarls on P-51 Mustangs, and other more risqué subjects that brought a much- needed feminine touch to the bombers of the 40's and 50's. "Most of these bomber gals had really lost their sparkle," explained a young Air Force cadet who asked that his name not be printed. "They were in a serious state of neglect. This puts the va-va-voom back in the ka-boom."
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