Aerial landscape art includes paintings and other visual arts which depict or evoke the appearance of a landscape from a perspective above it—usually from a considerable distance—as it might be viewed from an aircraft or spacecraft. Sometimes the art is based not on direct observation but on aerial photography, or on maps created using satellite imagery. This kind of landscape art hardly existed before the 20th century; its modern development coincided with the advent of human transport which allowed for actual overhead views of large landscapes.
An artistic depiction of an aerial landscape: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52"x48".
(This article concerns painting and other non-photographic media. Otherwise, see aerial photography)
Aerial landscapes are landscapes as seen from the sky. The earliest depictions of aerial landscapes are maps, or somewhat map-like artworks, which show a landscape from an imagined bird's-eye viewpoint. For example, Australian Aborigines, beginning in very ancient times, created "country" landscapes—aerial landscapes depicting their country—showing ancestral paths to watering holes and sacred sites. Centuries before air travel, Europeans developed maps of whole continents and even of the globe itself, all from an imagined aerial perspective, aided with mathematical calculations derived from surveys and knowledge of astronomical relationships.
There were other pre-20th century Western artworks sometimes depicting a single town or precinct in a manner that comes closer to real aerial landscape, showing a town or city more or less as it might look from directly overhead. These map-like aerial townscapes often employed a kind of mixed perspective; while the overall view was quasi-aerial—showing the disposition of features arrayed as if seen from directly above—individual features of importance (such as churches or other major buildings) were pictured larger than scale, angled as they might look to someone standing on the ground. The map-like functional purpose of these pictures meant that such landmarks ought to be recognizable to a viewer, therefore, a realistic overhead view of the scene would defeat the purpose. The advent of balloon travel in the 19th century encouraged the development of more realistic aerial landscapes, as the first pioneering aviators begin to learn what landscapes and buildings really looked like when viewed from directly overhead.
The artist Kazimir Malevich (1878–1935), who wrote extensively on the aesthetics and philosophy of modern art, identified the aerial landscape (especially the "bird's-eye view", looking straight down, as opposed to an oblique angle) as a genuinely new and radicalizing paradigm in the art of the twentieth century. In his view, air travel, and more specifically, aerial photography had created this broad change in consciousness. The ItalianFuturists were similarly fascinated with aerial views of landscapes.
Unlike traditional landscapes, aerial landscapes often do not include any view of a horizon or sky, nor in such cases is there any recession of the view into an infinite distance. Additionally, there is a natural kinship between aerial landscape painting and abstract painting, not only because familiar objects are sometimes difficult to recognize when viewed aerially, but because there is no natural "up" or "down" orientation in the painting. Often it seems that, as in a work of abstract expressionism, the painting might just as well be hung upside down or sideways. Furthermore, as in a Jackson Pollock or a Mark Tobey painting, such images often have an "all over" distribution of interest that defies any attempt to decide on a "correct" orientation or focal
The aerial cloudscapes painted by Georgia O'Keeffe in the 1960s and 1970s are a special case. Many of them are not landscapes at all, since they don't show any land. They depict images of clouds viewed from above, suspended in blue sky, with the land below nowhere to be seen; it is the view of clouds regarded at a downward and sideways angle, as from the window of an airplane. These paintings depict a kind of "pseudo-horizon," formed not where land meets sky but where the suspended layer of clouds—a "pseudo-ground"—meets the empty upper sky. (See the external link below for an image of O'Keeffe's gigantic 1965 aerial cloudscape entitled Sky Above Clouds IV, housed at the Art Institute of Chicago).
During this period, O'Keeffe also produced some aerial cloudscape paintings which qualify as true aerial landscape paintings because they include a view of the land below the clouds. An example is It Was Blue and Green (1960; see external link to image below). This painting shows a view of land seen from above through a thin layer of clouds, combining the aerial landscape and aerial cloudscape genres.
Yoseloff, Thomas, Jane Frank : a Retrospective Exhibition (New York City : A.S. Barnes, 1975) [exhibition catalogue] OCLC: 2651512
Other
Lodder, Christina. "Malevich, Suprematism and Aerial Photography" [article] Publication: HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY, 28, Part 1 (2004): 25-40; ISSN 0308-7298
External links
"The Aerial View and Art" - essay by Ashley Warriner, from a page at the University of Tennessee website
January 29, 2023
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This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations June 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message Aerial landscape art includes paintings and other visual arts which depict or evoke the appearance of a landscape from a perspective above it usually from a considerable distance as it might be viewed from an aircraft or spacecraft Sometimes the art is based not on direct observation but on aerial photography or on maps created using satellite imagery This kind of landscape art hardly existed before the 20th century its modern development coincided with the advent of human transport which allowed for actual overhead views of large landscapes An artistic depiction of an aerial landscape Jane Frank Jane Schenthal Frank 1918 1986 Aerial Series Ploughed Fields Maryland 1974 acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas 52 x48 This article concerns painting and other non photographic media Otherwise see aerial photography dd Aerial landscapes are landscapes as seen from the sky The earliest depictions of aerial landscapes are maps or somewhat map like artworks which show a landscape from an imagined bird s eye viewpoint For example Australian Aborigines beginning in very ancient times created country landscapes aerial landscapes depicting their country showing ancestral paths to watering holes and sacred sites Centuries before air travel Europeans developed maps of whole continents and even of the globe itself all from an imagined aerial perspective aided with mathematical calculations derived from surveys and knowledge of astronomical relationships There were other pre 20th century Western artworks sometimes depicting a single town or precinct in a manner that comes closer to real aerial landscape showing a town or city more or less as it might look from directly overhead These map like aerial townscapes often employed a kind of mixed perspective while the overall view was quasi aerial showing the disposition of features arrayed as if seen from directly above individual features of importance such as churches or other major buildings were pictured larger than scale angled as they might look to someone standing on the ground The map like functional purpose of these pictures meant that such landmarks ought to be recognizable to a viewer therefore a realistic overhead view of the scene would defeat the purpose The advent of balloon travel in the 19th century encouraged the development of more realistic aerial landscapes as the first pioneering aviators begin to learn what landscapes and buildings really looked like when viewed from directly overhead Contents 1 Modernist abstraction and the aerial landscape 2 Special case the aerial cloudscape 3 Notable artists 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Books 5 2 Other 6 External linksModernist abstraction and the aerial landscape EditThe artist Kazimir Malevich 1878 1935 who wrote extensively on the aesthetics and philosophy of modern art identified the aerial landscape especially the bird s eye view looking straight down as opposed to an oblique angle as a genuinely new and radicalizing paradigm in the art of the twentieth century In his view air travel and more specifically aerial photography had created this broad change in consciousness The Italian Futurists were similarly fascinated with aerial views of landscapes Unlike traditional landscapes aerial landscapes often do not include any view of a horizon or sky nor in such cases is there any recession of the view into an infinite distance Additionally there is a natural kinship between aerial landscape painting and abstract painting not only because familiar objects are sometimes difficult to recognize when viewed aerially but because there is no natural up or down orientation in the painting Often it seems that as in a work of abstract expressionism the painting might just as well be hung upside down or sideways Furthermore as in a Jackson Pollock or a Mark Tobey painting such images often have an all over distribution of interest that defies any attempt to decide on a correct orientation or focalIn addition to Malevich many other modern and contemporary artists have produced work inspired by aerial views of landscapes including Georgia O Keeffe Susan Crile Jane Frank Richard Diebenkorn Yvonne Jacquette and Nancy Graves citation needed Special case the aerial cloudscape EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed June 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The aerial cloudscapes painted by Georgia O Keeffe in the 1960s and 1970s are a special case Many of them are not landscapes at all since they don t show any land They depict images of clouds viewed from above suspended in blue sky with the land below nowhere to be seen it is the view of clouds regarded at a downward and sideways angle as from the window of an airplane These paintings depict a kind of pseudo horizon formed not where land meets sky but where the suspended layer of clouds a pseudo ground meets the empty upper sky See the external link below for an image of O Keeffe s gigantic 1965 aerial cloudscape entitled Sky Above Clouds IV housed at the Art Institute of Chicago During this period O Keeffe also produced some aerial cloudscape paintings which qualify as true aerial landscape paintings because they include a view of the land below the clouds An example is It Was Blue and Green 1960 see external link to image below This painting shows a view of land seen from above through a thin layer of clouds combining the aerial landscape and aerial cloudscape genres Notable artists EditSusan Crile Yann Arthus Bertrand Tullio Crali Richard Diebenkorn Jane Frank Nancy Graves Andreas Gursky Yvonne Jacquette Kazimir Malevich Georgia O Keeffe Don Reichert Nikolas Schiller Everett WarnerSee also EditAerial perspective Atmospheric effects on the appearance of a distant object Bird s eye view Elevated view of an object or location from above Indigenous Australian art Art made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia Cityscape An artistic representation of the physical aspects of a city or urban area Cloudscape photography Photography of clouds or sky Top down perspectiveReferences EditBooks Edit Dreikausen Margret Aerial Perception The Earth as Seen from Aircraft and Spacecraft and Its Influence on Contemporary Art Associated University Presses Cranbury NJ London England Mississauga Ontario 1985 ISBN 0 87982 040 3 Faberman Hilarie Aerial Muse The Art of Yvonne Jacquette New York City Hudson Hills Press Stanford Calif In Association with Iris amp B Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University 2002 ISBN 1 55595 157 0 Yoseloff Thomas Jane Frank a Retrospective Exhibition New York City A S Barnes 1975 exhibition catalogue OCLC 2651512Other Edit Lodder Christina Malevich Suprematism and Aerial Photography article Publication HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY 28 Part 1 2004 25 40 ISSN 0308 7298External links EditMargret Dreikausen page with color images at The New School New York The Aerial View and Art essay by Ashley Warriner from a page at the University of Tennessee website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aerial landscape art amp oldid 1119674650, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
