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In plane site

January 13, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 33 Comments

STREET ART

Philadelphia street art

There’s something cool about street art at the best of times, but especially when you’re a tourist. There’s something about the installations in public areas that says a lot about a city.

The artwork represents the thoughts of the inspired, using symbols to tell the true tale of the place. And it’s telling what a city allows to be installed!

One work in particular caught my attention when I was in Philadelphia. It’s hard for a huge fighter jet crashed into the pavement not to catch your attention!

Philadelphia plane street art, USA

I walked around it, surveying it from every direction. I looked inside the windows and was surprised by what I saw.

I touched it and felt the cold metal on my palms. I made a mental note to find out more about it.

I’m glad I did.

It turns out the work was made by a young local artist called Jordan Griska. He had bought the shell of the Grumman S2F plane on ebay and had it shipped to Philadelphia.

In his workshop he fixed the damaged parts, adding fresh metal to some of the top and the landing gear door.

Then, after fixing it up, he began to damage the plane again, crumpling parts of it to appear as though it had crashed into the ground.

Philadelphia plane street art, USA

Plane street art

It sounds impressive enough but, as they say, it’s what’s inside that counts. And inside the plane, Griska put the true meaning of his art.

Looking through the windows, you can see a little greenhouse inside. Heat lights, a watering system, and exposure to the sun create the perfect environment for plants he’s put in the plane to grow.

Much of what is grown in the greenhouse of the fighter jet is edible. And everything is given to local Philadelphia projects that help to feed the poor and homeless.

The artwork gives back to the community.

Philadelphia plane street art, USA

Veterans groups were apparently worried when they first heard about the project, fearing it would be insensitive but they’ve now embraced the idea.

For his part, Griska says the point was to demonstrate that an object could have a life beyond its initial aim, especially when it was originally built for war.

Philadelphia plane street art, USA

“These repurposed finished pieces simultaneously lead the viewer to contemplate the history of ‘the thing’ while changing the function of the object,” he’s quoted as saying.

“My generation—what do we do with all these parts of post-war conflict? What is our role in that?”

The street art of a city has the power to show the true humanity of its citizens. From the pain of war, compassion can grow.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Cole @ Four Jandals |

    July 21, 2012 at 3:53 am

    Reply

    That’s probably the coolest street art I have ever seen. So glad you took the time to find out more about it. When I first saw the pictures I immediately thought of 9/11 and thought it might be insensitive but I guess everyone is happy with it now. Brilliant project.

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:09 pm

      Reply

      Yeah, you can understand why people might have been worried about it being insensitive when they heard about the original plans. But it’s turned out to be quite the opposite!

  2. Escaping Abroad |

    July 21, 2012 at 4:00 am

    Reply

    Very cool street art.. def not what you’d expect to see walking around in Philly! Neat story about the origin of the plane coming from ebay as well.. and you did a great job on the photos, love them!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:10 pm

      Reply

      I think I might check on ebay and see whether I can buy myself an old fighter plane!! 🙂

  3. Laurence |

    July 21, 2012 at 7:09 am

    Reply

    I’m a massive fan of street art, but this is probably the most novel installation I’ve ever seen involving a plane. “Planehenge” in the Australian outback was pretty out there.. but this one seems to have purpose beyond quirky. And that is a good thing!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:10 pm

      Reply

      Planehenge does sound pretty cool. I might have to check it out sometime when I’m back in Oz.

  4. Jess | GlobetrotterGirls |

    July 21, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    Reply

    Love this. Love the artist’s dedication to his idea, and how amazing he translated it into this piece. This is why street art is so important – you’re just walking along, texting, thinking about some issue that’s bugging you and BAM, now you’re experiencing art. Great post!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Reply

      You’re right – that is the coolest thing about street art. It’s always unexpected and the best ones do make you stop and think… and often put your day into perspective.

  5. Karen @ Trans-Americas Journey |

    July 23, 2012 at 12:15 am

    Reply

    Wow! Beautiful AND a cunning combo of ruin and growth. Love it.

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:13 pm

      Reply

      I really love that combination… obviously a lot of thought went into the artwork.

  6. Bret @ Green Global Travel |

    July 23, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Reply

    WHOA, that is not what expected when I started reading the post. So cool! I saw another post today where somebody had cut holes in dozens of plastic soda bottles turned sideways and created an herb garden out of them. So ingenious, and the fact that it goes to feed people who need it is awesome. Wish Atlanta had a project like this!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      Reply

      I don’t imagine it actually grows heaps of food, but it’s nice that what it does grow helps the homeless. Perhaps cities should considering creating and expanding projects like this – it a really sustainable way of using ‘trash’.

  7. Rajnish |

    July 24, 2012 at 4:46 am

    Reply

    Wow a fallen plane, the idea itself seems to be great and the original site is even more better, I wish I could see it in realty.

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:15 pm

      Reply

      I think they’re planning to take it down at some point – it was only supposed to be up for a while and they’ve already extended the time because it’s been so popular.

  8. Andrew |

    July 24, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    Reply

    As mentioned several times that is pretty cool. Not just to have the idea of art, but to find a way to grow stuff in it.

    Though I think it would be hard on me to spend time and energy fixing up a plane, just to destroy it again.

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:20 pm

      Reply

      Perhaps you should make one for the garden… it would be quite a novel herb garden! 🙂

  9. Cristin Cogen |

    July 24, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    Reply

    I am having one of those moments where I want to read every post in the sidebar. 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      Reply

      Thanks, Cristin!

  10. Jeremy Branham |

    July 25, 2012 at 6:22 am

    Reply

    Well that’s definitely different. It’s not plain that’s for sure. I have to admit that I am not the most creative person in the world so I would never come up with something like this. A plane crashing into a sidewalk. And then add a greenhouse? Quite remarkable!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 25, 2012 at 7:22 pm

      Reply

      Who knows how the minds of artists work? I’m just glad they do! 🙂

  11. Heather |

    July 28, 2012 at 1:31 am

    Reply

    This is one of my favorite public art pieces in philly. I can’t believe you managed to get a picture of it without crowds of people around!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 19, 2012 at 7:20 pm

      Reply

      Oh, is it normally crowded, is it? I pretty much found it by accident but was so glad I did. It’s super cool. What a pity they’re planning to take it down at some point.

  12. Deb |

    September 5, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Reply

    Funny, I’m sitting in the airport right no in Philadelphia. Only in transit though so I can’t go and see this amazing art. But I’m with it in spirit since I’m going on a plane:)

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 6, 2012 at 5:45 pm

      Reply

      Yikes, I hope your trip ends up a bit more successfully than this one! 🙂

  13. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    September 12, 2012 at 2:57 am

    Reply

    This is the best example of re-use I’ve ever since. I love that the artist gives back to the community.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 14, 2012 at 8:19 pm

      Reply

      It’s a cool concept, isn’t it? And like all great artwork, it makes you think.

  14. Maria |

    February 26, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Reply

    Griska is amazing. Purpose, food, art, charity – all in one work. Wow!

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 26, 2013 at 3:49 pm

      Reply

      Isn’t it fantastic the way he’s worked so much into one piece of art. I love it too!

  15. kelly sheen |

    May 27, 2016 at 5:21 am

    Reply

    Although it is a cool ldea the fact that it is painted to look like an California dept of forestry fire bomber complete with tail number is very offensive to the families and pilots who have lost loved ones in tragic accidents fighting wildland fires the artist should remove all markings and just leave it bare metal if he wants to call this art

  16. James Phillips |

    February 29, 2020 at 6:31 am

    Reply

    The not so cool is that CalFire airtanker 100 crashed while fighting a forest fire, killing the pilot.

  17. SC Osprey |

    July 9, 2020 at 5:36 am

    Reply

    Why not add two or three simulated, plasticized dead bodies to “amp up” its realism?

  18. Robert Sommers |

    February 20, 2021 at 6:01 am

    Reply

    It’s not a jet, and it’s not a fighter.
    Why is it called a “jet fighter”?

  19. Robert Forbes |

    February 20, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    Reply

    Having flown this type of aircraft with these numbers as a CAL FIRE air tanker, I find it (to me) totally insensitive to the pilots that have perished trying to protect the public from the devastating and deadly Wild Fires that ravage the United States every year.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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