Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Leon and Barbara Rosenberg
Made/Created
Artist
Alexander Calder
Date made
1974
Dimensions
Dimension Description
Frame Size
Height
37-7/8 in
Width
32-1/8 in
Dimension Description
Image Size
Height
26 in
Width
20 in
Interpretative Labels
Label
In the mid-1960s, Braniff International Airways underwent a major rebranding under the direction of Mary Wells Lawrence, with the help of Alexander Girard and Emilio Pucci. This included repainting their aircraft in a range of bold colors like orange, turquoise, and lavender. In 1973, Alexander Calder was commissioned to paint a DC-8 Jet for Braniff Airlines with his bold designs in red, yellow, and blue with specially formulated aerospace paint. He was also commissioned to create a series of artworks related to this "Flying Colors" theme, resulting in a portfolio of lithographs like the one seen here; six different compositions were created.
Braniff's "Flying Colors" campaign was a bold and memorable move, and Calder's artwork helped solidify its place in aviation history. The campaign is still recognized today as a groundbreaking example of corporate branding.
