Aerodynamic Forms in Space 1-11

Rodney Graham’s photo series Aerodynamic Forms in Space, created in Vancouver in 1977, depicts a series of poorly assembled airplane toys. Assembling few and rudimentary building elements, the artist cared little whether the planes could fly; what mattered was their aesthetic value as abstract sculptural forms. The title of the series is a humorous homage to classical modernist sculptures. The Russian constructivist El Lissitzky (1890–1941) and the British sculptor Anthony Caro (1924–2013) were particularly important references. With acumen and ease, Graham transformed the highly intellectual and partly utopian ambitions of classical modernism into an accessible, playful vocabulary. The artist revisited the photo series Aerodynamic Forms in Space in 2010 for the eponymous sculpture, which now stands at the entrance to Stanley Park in Vancouver.