The Mullairplane
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The Mullairplane project was born out of an artist's desire to flatter our
capacity to marvel. And, more than a hundred years after Wright's first
take-off, there is no human achievement as great dream-wise as the airplane.
There is no better symbol of man's quest for freedom and divine. Therefore,
even if we can understand logically how huge metal monsters can escape from gravity and dance with the clouds, there is a part of us that acknowledges only magic in this miracle.
I firmly believe that one of the most important roles for the artist in
modern society is that of a witness. He can scream and denounce in front of
injustice, but he may also want to share his capacity to marvel. While the
others have to run for work and life, his job is to stop and look at things,
real or imaginary, and then recreate them in order for the others to see for
themselves. We are constantly bombed by images, we are using tools and
machines we don't really understand, but we don't really have the time to
see.
This is why the airplane has always been present in my work. Look! Aren't
those heavy angels marvellous? Aren't they a dream come true? Can they not
symbolize our love for humanity?
It is one thing to paint (represent) an airplane. It is another to paint
(on) an airplane. The Mullairplane is a painted plane that wishes to fly
around the world to bring a message of colour and peace. From Guernica to
the Twin Towers, one knows that death can come from the sky. The airplane
becomes suddenly a threatening figure. We have to recapture our most
beautiful invention and reinstall it as a symbol of harmony and brotherhood.
This is for instance what the photographs I've made of the Mullairplane-V
over New York are for. We must dream again. |
