Aerial Views

Malevich: Airplane Flying- What perspective was he really thinking about?I can’t help thinking about the relationship between skiing and sitting comfortably in the window seat of a Boeing 777, looking out onto the quiet scene below. On the surface they are obviously very different; the first is an intense sport where one speeds down mountainous terrain, expending immense amounts of energy, while the second is a passive, ritual of observation to pass the time. However, they share a core characteristic that has kept me wrapped and addicted since childhood. They are both a form of helix sport.
Skiing is obviously a helix sport, as described by Jackson. It is a sport whose terrain “bears few visible signs of its function”; it’s about exploring a new environment, and takes one out of himself for the moment. This intoxicating effect, seeing the world from a new perspective is at the core of what a helix sport really is. So, it is actually pretty logical to consider viewing the earth from above, gliding over it in silence, to be in the same genre of activity. It’s not as intoxicating in terms of speed or adrenaline, but it does provide clarity amongst confusion. It’s so much easier to contemplate the earth when seen from above, it takes on the quality of a photograph, something that seems set in time and that distance and stasis allow the viewer to use his mind rather than body to experience the setting below.
Something that seems altogether unrelated is the influence this type of perspective had on artists. This new perspective is precisely what allowed creative energies to flow in a direction altogether external of the human condition. In an explanation of Modern Art ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_landscape_art ) Kasimir Malevich points us to the aspects that are obvious but may not be immediately noticed. This form is absent of perspective or in many times depth. The canvas is used as a flat surface with no attempt to replicate the terrestrial scenes.
However, the interplay of this art form and aerial views may give us a new perspective on each. Jackson speaks of the way that the view from above comes alive mostly through contemplation of the details of what is below, the tensions on the ground and the way the forms embody them or seem to disregard them. Though I’m not a huge fan of abstract painting, applying this principle of looking beyond the forms to what they may or may not be hiding is interesting. Though detached, their angle on the world is striking and poignant in its removal. This as well applies to the landscape. Taking flight from the ground is a temporary escape from the quotidian that is only really important because of the fact that it’s temporary. It is valuable in the sense that this scene can help one gather her thoughts on her daily life and the relationships she has with both landscape and others.
This seems to be the real goal of helix sports. It’s an escape but not an isolated event. The temporary rush and out-of-body experience help us commune with nature, but not as an external being- more as a reflection of our desires and selves.