By a Nose: Airplane Art Show Open Through August at Laguna Ink Spot

Submitted by Laguna Ink Spot and Gallery:

Laguna Ink Spot and Gallery is excited to announce Surprise Attack: WWII Nose Art by Sant, opening Thursday August 1st during the Laguna Beach First Thursdays Art Walk. Surprise Attack marks Santiago “Sant” Godinez’s third solo show, and will showcase his hand-formed and hand-painted nose art.

Sant is known for his reproductions of classic nose art, a folk art that began for practical purposes during the First World War and was popularized during World War II. By painting designs on the fuselages of aircrafts, military were able to identify friendly units. The tradition evolved, and by the time of the Second World War, American nose art became more playful, often featuring pinup girls and catchy aircraft names like “Memphis Belle” and “Lucky Lady.” Sant’s unique reproductions have caught the eye of many art lovers in Southern California, and he counts actor Channing Tatum among his collectors.

A former structure mechanic for Boeing, Sant is uniquely qualified to bring these classic designs back to life. Years ago, while working with panels of metal, he envisioned using one as a canvas and turning it into fine art. After experimenting on a scrap, he began frequenting scrap metal shops for supplies. When creating his fine art pieces, Sant uses the same materials and techniques he learned as a metal fabricator. “These are solid,” he says, smiling. “You could patch a plane with them.”

Sant is also unique in the respect he has for the subject matter. “People ask me all the time, ‘Oh, put my name on it,’ or ‘Make one with my girlfriend on it.’ I won’t. I only make ones that were real planes. It’s very important to me to keep the tradition alive.” In fact, the custom work that Sant has had the pleasure of creating has been very special, like a piece he made in honor of a collector’s grandfather, the top turret gunner on the plane whose nose art he was asked to reproduce.

Surprise Attack: WWII Nose Art by Sant opens Thursday August 1st from 6-9pm and runs throughout August at Laguna Ink Spot and Gallery, 412 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. For more info visit lagunainkspot.com