Airplane Spray Art of World War II: Flying Amidst a Rain of Bullets and Shells

Author: Fan Dapeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: When you think of war, what comes to your mind? Is it the battlefield filled with smoke and gore, or the devastated ruins? Is it the orphan crying over his mother's body, or the flood of refugees displaced by war? In short, it's hard to associate war with artistic expressions like painting, music, and film, which humans typically use to convey positive emotions. However, during World War II over 60 years ago, artists from the warring nations also plunged into that brutal human struggle. Many of them even picked up weapons and moved through the gunfire, pouring their true feelings onto paper, creating numerous vivid and moving posters, cartoons, and other artworks. Meanwhile, some versatile frontline soldiers also painted images or wrote words on their beloved weapons, such as airplanes, to express their personal feelings and strong desires—this is what we see in this series of "Military Art Books," featuring World War II posters, World War II cartoons, and World War II airplane artwork. Through these works, readers can re-examine World War II from a new perspective—the art of war—and experience the fierce battle between justice and evil while feeling the emotional impact and shock war art brings.
When it comes to airplane graffiti art, people might feel a bit unfamiliar. Some have only seen it in movies or old photographs—depictions of beautiful women on U.S. military aircraft during World War II. Others may have encountered the shark-like image on the P-40 planes of General Claire Chennault's "Flying Tigers." Indeed, these all belong to airplane graffiti art. Airplane graffiti art is often referred to as "Nose Art," literally meaning artworks—such as paintings and writings—that are drawn or sprayed on the front part of an airplane and its nearby areas. In reality, these artworks also frequently appear on the (fuselage), tail, turrets, engine compartments, and even the weapons carried by the aircraft. Their themes are also very diverse, ranging from common portraits of beautiful women and celebrities to birds, mammals, insects, cartoon patterns, special symbols (such as skulls), mythical creatures, or names.
World War II was undoubtedly the golden age of airplane graffiti art, with its sheer quantity and diverse content unmatched in history. "World War II Airplane Nose Art: Flying Through Gunfire" compiles some of the rare airplane graffiti art from that era into a collection for readers to enjoy.