Thursday, November 12, 2009

Into Thin Air




In February of 1960 Maj. Joe Kittenger jumped from the balloon Excelsior at an altitude of 120,000 feet over New Mexico. Officially, testing of pressure suits for space flight was the objective of the mission.

Maybe it was also for the thrill of it all.

The helmet makes the figure look a bit baby-like, jumping into life. This image is a powerful metaphor for taking risks, calculated or not.

oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches

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