our fallen spacemen?
I saw this on the brown line this afternoon in one of the large advertising slots by the doors. My friend chris snapped a picture on his cameraphone for me.
Beneath the photo it says.
OUR FALLEN SPACEMEN
LT COL EDWARD H. WHITE II
JANUARY 27TH, 1967
ARD
ad?
art?
neither?
He is a real astronaut and he did die on Jan 27th 1967 in an Apollo fire. He was the first astronaut to walk in space.
This is really perplexing. Does anybody have the foggiest idea as to what this is all about?
Perplexing indeed… I looked around for more on my two busses this morning. All a found was a really strange picture of daffy duck.
this is really strange. there was one on my train this morning too. looked just like this, but the name was different. it was lt. col. something i. grissom. i can’t remember the first name. very curious.
really? that’s awesome!!!!! shit. i wonder…
These posters are fascinating. Tina: you saw a poster for Gus Grissom, an astronaut who died in a launching pad accident.
Please e-mail me with any info on the artist: ptuminaro@yahoo.com I am a fan of this work. I happen to have a German National living with me and the signature/printmakers mark is ‘ARD’ and he told me that this was the first German TV station after the Second World War! Ineresting. Please forward any info, I would like to meet the artist(s).
Today when I got on the Brown Line (Car No 3377) there were two more by this artist. Instead of the fallen spacemen it was two words placed opposite of eachother and up on the curved ad space by the ceiling. One said “Adoption” and the other said “Abortion” both by ARD. I like these… who is this person?
Paul A. Tuminaro
ptuminaro@yahoo.com
Totally. some good stuff.
Saw another one! These were two words again: Meteoric and Mediocre!
Today I got on at Chicago Ave. Brownline stop going North. I was talking to a tourist from Wisconsin (Sea Kayaking instructor) and his friend from Oak Park and as we walked onto the train there was Dr. Judith A. Resnik. The piece followed the same format but instaed of Spacemen it was Our Fallen Spacewomen. The date of her death was, as usual, on there “January 28th, 1986”. The car number was 2998 and the time at which the two tourists (Jeff and Evan?) got off was 3:34PM at Belmont Ave. I had just been discussing the artist(s) work with Carl Hammer at his gallery earlier in the day…
“it was lt. col. something i. grissom. i can’t remember the first name.”
I’d gather that responses like this are why this campaign is taking place. I grew up right across the freeway from NASA in a family full of pilots. Names like Gus Grissom were as important to us as Babe Ruth was to New Yorkers. I suppose I always assumed that everyone knew who these people were, but I guess not. It’s always strange when you step out of your sphere and see what the rest of the world has been looking at.
Just saw the Judith Resnik.
That’s funny Alana, I grew up in Orlando. I remember as a kid seeing the space shuttle take off all the time. The unannounced launches were always cool as you didn’t really expect it and then “Hey! That’s the space shuttle! I wonder what wierd Cold War spy sattelite it going up now?”
My friend Chris snagged it with his phonecam.
http://www.deadtech.net/ourfallenspacewomen.jpg
Wow. I’m really flattered by all this praise. The work you’re talking about is a project of mine that’s been underway since April. It’s bigger than the spacemen, but that’s the current installment. I just recently found this blog and you can imagine my satisfaction to see the work spark conversations and curiousity. Very basically it’s about a reclamation of public space for more educational/intellectual uses, chiefly to honor those who worked toward or achived greatness but have fallen to the wayside. Thank you again for all the kind words
-ARD
Actually, I find the “Spacemen” pieces highly annoying and almost offensive. Not only is the word “spacemen” inappropriate (why not “astronauts”?), but it is grammatically unsound. Each piece shows only one person, so the word should be singular. While the instinct to honor dead astronauts is commendable, the approach borders on ignorance.
Wow, I haven’t seen “Spacewomen” or the words… but I did notice “Our Lesser-Known Presidents” before “Spacemen”, though. The only one I saw (on two different trains, brown and red) was Rutherford B. Hayes, but that’s something.
If anyone knows anything, I’m at TheSalisburyNinja@Gmail.com and I’d really like to be kept abreast. It’s really interesting art.
Annoying and offensive? Those are awfully strong words considering the criteria you list. As far as the term “spacemen” over astronauts I was using a more innocent, childlike language to describe what is an astonishing feat. I just felt “Our Fallen Astronauts” doesn’t convey the sense of reverence I wanted. And as for your problem with the plural nature of my wording; you are wrong. There are a number of these people. Each person is 1/24 of the project. Twenty four fallen spacemen/women. To singularly refer to each person would downplay the scale of the project. I’m sorry you have such a problem, but it’s your ignorance, not mine.
Oh pish posh. Annoying and offensive indeed…
Christ. No good deed goes unpunished.
ARD— I’m glad that you had the awareness and good heart to give a well-earned nod to these fine people. Good on ya.
James, I look forward to seeing your all-encompassing, completely 100% p.c. installation that pleases everyone and offends no one.
Please do notify us when it is available for viewing…
…On Magic Unicorn Island.
Hey, sorry I didn’t fawn at your feet and gush praise over your mediocre art work, which, by the way, you have paid money in order to get people to look at. I was merely expressing my opinion. As an artist myself, I know that all critiques are valuable, especially the ones that aren’t positive.
As an artist I assume you are showing your work. Where might we see it?
The only critiques that are valuable are the ones that actually offer constructive criticism. Not shallow cut-downs. You assume that he has paid to have his work displayed. You didn’t ask.
Again… I assume that you are showing. I welcome the opportunity to invite both the artist of topic to critique your work as well as have a chance to view it myself.
I am a filmmaker, looking for the right subject to a short, Chicago-based documentary this Fall. If the artist, or anyone who is in contact with them, happens to read this post, PLEASE E-MAIL ME!! I am VERY INTERESTED in hearing more about your work/concept and would LOVE to interview you for my upcoming project!! mychicagostory@aol.com
Still there… November 23rd on the Brown line. Heading downtown about 10:50am. Can’t remember the guy’s name, but it wasn’t one mentioned above. He died in 2003. Maybe Chris? Totally caught my eye and glad to hear a little about it. Is the poster “Ard” here really the artist? Hard to find any other info about it.
Saw another round of these really great posters on the brown line today. I think it is so interesting to see who notices these things, and who takes the time to read them, and who just glosses over it, as if it is another ad. Kudos to ARD.
I don’t exhibit since I don’t think the public is at a point that my work will mean much to them. The intellectual level of most people that might see my work is beneath the level my message will try to convey.
interesting to note that these are only on the brown and apparently red lines.
riding the blue line i haven’t seen a single one.
and i doubt they’re on the orange or green lines…
now, why is this?