Aircraft

Photos: Getting nose-to-nose with vintage aircraft

Photos: Getting nose-to-nose with vintage aircraft
Manolo Chrétien's exhibition looks at the history of planes head on
Manolo Chrétien's exhibition looks at the history of planes head on
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The Concorde is one of the most interesting planes in history, capable of supersonic flight but plagued with problems
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The Concorde is one of the most interesting planes in history, capable of supersonic flight but plagued with problems
This Learjet was once tasked with carting someone very, very wealthy around the world in leather-lined luxury
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This Learjet was once tasked with carting someone very, very wealthy around the world in leather-lined luxury
Shot from front on, this Hawkeye looks more like a friendly family pet
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Shot from front on, this Hawkeye looks more like a friendly family pet
A Hercules photographed for Manolo Chretien's Nose Art exhibition
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A Hercules photographed for Manolo Chretien's Nose Art exhibition
This Rafale fighter jet is the sleekest, most aggressive plane in the exhibition
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This Rafale fighter jet is the sleekest, most aggressive plane in the exhibition
The Starlifter was officially retired from service in 2006
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The Starlifter was officially retired from service in 2006
This TWA Constellation was flown through a torrential hailstorm, giving it the dents and scrapes you see here
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This TWA Constellation was flown through a torrential hailstorm, giving it the dents and scrapes you see here
Chrétien has named this photo Tucson Smile
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Chrétien has named this photo Tucson Smile
Photographer Manolo Chrétien
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Photographer Manolo Chrétien 
Manolo Chrétien's exhibition looks at the history of planes head on
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Manolo Chrétien's exhibition looks at the history of planes head on
View gallery - 10 images

For most of us, airplanes are simply a means to an end. But to some people – like Manolo Chrétien – planes are much more than giant metal tubes full of smelly passengers and cramped seats. The French photographer's new "Nose Art" exhibition is designed to give people a head-on look at a wide range of aircraft, from hulking warplanes to the ill-fated Concorde.

Although it may seem like an odd subject matter to those not fascinated with aircraft, the man behind the exhibition – which will be on display starting this month at the Mechanical Art Devices Gallery in Geneva – says his fascination has been brewing since youth. Son of the first French astronaut, Chrétien grew up next to the Orange Air Force Base, and was a steadfast visitor to hangars full of prototype jets. Having briefly studied aeronautical engineering, he ended up pursuing a career in graphic design, while indulging his passion for photography on the side.

"My inspiration for Nose Art camesuddenly while on a photo trip in the Tucson desert in 2008," says Chrétien. "I was photographing all sorts ofplanes when I had a flashback of my brothers and I when we were very young in the gardenof our house in Orange, France – right next to the runway, where we were fascinated by theplanes taking off."

Photographer Manolo Chrétien
Photographer Manolo Chrétien 

Most of the shots featured in the Nose Art gallery were shot on a Canon 5D R or Hasselblad H4D-60. Given the height of most planes, getting a direct front-on perspective wasn't easy, forcing Chrétien to use a tall tripod and forklift for a face-to-face look.

According to Chrétien, each plane has a different story to tell, with rust and dents accrued over years of hard service providing a window into its soul. The Star of Switzerland, which was one of the first TWA Constellations converted for civilian work, is peppered with dents picked up in a torrential hailstorm. This, according to the gallery hosting the exhibition, left the aircraft with "tremendous character and a visual chronicle of its history."

Along with the TWA Constellation, the exhibition includes images of the Concorde, a Rafale fighter jet and an old Learjet. Each has lived a very different life, something Chrétien has tried to capture in his images.

"Growing up I saw the tarmac, kerosene, and aluminium through the eyes of a small child; I was overwhelmed by the size of these huge metal birds flying over me," Chrétien says. "I photograph from this viewpoint today, sometimes by lying on the ground to recreate a child-like sense of scale. Since my very first photographs I've been fascinated with the textures and colours of used metals, revealing the past and the story of these materials. So scale, colours, and surface textures are very important."

If you can't hop a plane to catch the Geneva show, you can have a look through some of the images now in the gallery above.

Source: Mechanical Art Devices Gallery Geneva

View gallery - 10 images
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