New contemporary exhibition at Tate Britain opens
Harrier and Jaguar is composed of two military fighter planes that once saw active service, suspended in the Duveen Galleries of the Tate Britain.Firstly a Sea Harrier Jet has been suspended vertically in the South Duveen Gallery. It spans the whole space and the surface has been reworked by the artist, with handpainted feather markings.
The cockpit has been transformed into a pair of eyes and the nose has been turned into a beak to give the appearance of a bird.
In the North Duveen Gallery, a Sepecat Jaguar lies belly-up on the floor. The aircraft has become a mirror, reflecting its surroundings, as Banner has stripped it of paint to reveal a metallic surface.
Banner said: "It's hard to believe that these planes are designed for function, because they are beautiful. But they are absolutely designed for function, as a bird of prey is, and that function is to kill.
The artist was born in 1966 and is known as one of the Young British Artists. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2002.
Posted by Oliver Greaves
