New art exhibit by James Wille Faust unveiled at Indianapolis International Airport
Wings in Flight, acrylic-on-canvas paintings, bring artist’s iconic style to IND’s Civic Plaza
The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) and James Wille Faust unveiled the renowned Indiana artist’s latest work in a ceremony this morning at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND). Wings in Flight consists of three paintings, Air, Water, and Earth. The triptych draws on Faust’s elegantly geometric approach to compellingly connote flight themes within IND’s unique public space.
Each of the 5’x6’, acrylic-on-canvas paintings are displayed in front of the limestone façade at the highly trafficked entrance to Civic Plaza, which is located prior to security checkpoints, allowing ticketed passengers and members of the general public alike to enjoy the works.
“We are delighted that once again the H. Weir Cook Terminal will be home to a James Wille Faust creation,” said Robert Duncan, executive director for the IAA. “These paintings enhance an art program that is an important part of our approach to making the travel experience at IND among the very best that an airport can offer.”
“This triptych, entitled Wings in Flight, is painted with my conception of color harmony,” said Faust. “With that palette, I have created minimalistic geometric compositions. There are diagonal and curved shapes on each canvas, which generate movement and lead the eye into the depths of the picture plane. The tilted wing shape within each painting represents flight. It is meant to echo the outline of a bird, or a plane. The wing form was inspired by Brancusi’s sculpture Bird in Space.
“These paintings pay homage to the elements: air, water, and earth. They energize and illuminate the spacial environment. They are landscapes intended to create a vibrant dialog using color and form, one that resonates between each canvas, and as a triptych the dialog is amplified.”
About James Wille Faust
Indiana Artist James Wille Faust has a B.F.A. in Sculpture from the Herron School of Art of Indiana University in 1971 and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1974. Born in 1949, he grew up on a farm in rural Lapel, Indiana. Faust has been a working artist since 1978. His artwork has been exhibited around the world, most recently at the Snite Musuem of Art, University of Notre Dame, in a one-person exhibit Geometrics in Nature: Trees and Birds.
About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system. In addition to Indianapolis International Airport, its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport, and Metropolitan Airport. IND has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing it as a leader within its class, including best airport in North America in 2010 and 2012 in Airports Council International’s annual Airport Service Quality awards. IND is the first airport in the U.S. to win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus, and the airport has won recognition for excellent customer service, concessions programs, and art and architecture.
IND’s economic impact in Central Indiana is more than $4.5 billion annually, and about 10,000 people work at the airport each day. IND serves more than 7 million business and leisure travelers each year and averages 138 daily flights to 34 nonstop destinations. Home of the world's second-largest FedEx Express operation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility, IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.