A century ago the development of flight opened a new dimension in warfare. This profound technological change has inspired generations of artists. IWM London launches Visions of War Above and Below, a new exhibition exploring a range of artistic perspectives on conflict, from the First World War to the present day.

From surreal portrayals of aircraft as creatures, to abstract views of bombing raids and detailed drawings of life in submarines, Visions of War Above and Below features some of IWM’s most intriguing artworks. This exhibition highlights the work of many artists, whose different viewpoints show the dynamics of power and vulnerability between those above and those below.

“These artists’ visions of war use dreamlike and nightmarish imagery to depict machines that fly or swim underwater, threat from the skies, or scenes from below ground. This exhibition shows the exciting variety, strength and depth of IWM’s modern and contemporary art collection.” Claire Brenard, IWM Art Curator

Visions of War Above and Below opens with a selection of artworks representative of the awe and romance often associated with air warfare. Richard Carline’s painting Damascus and the Lebanon Mountains from 10,000 Feet, 1920, derived from sketches drawn in the open-air cockpit, conjure the thrill and sensation of flight. Paul Nash, having never flown in a plane himself, offers an imaginative and poetic portrayal of a bomber’s approach to a target in Battle of Germany, 1944.

From here the exhibition looks at artworks which use organic or animal forms to embody dreamlike or nightmarish scenarios. Alison Wilding’s drawings Drone 4 and Drone 9, 2012, depict the unmanned craft as ghostly and menacing birds and hang alongside Leonard Rosoman’s drawing of an insect-like Black Avenger aircraft, 1945. Eric Ravilious’ Submarine Series of lithographs, 1941, originally intended for a children’s colouring book, appears as otherworldly scenes, evoking a sense of fantasy and adventure.

Works by Peter Kalkhof and Norman Adams use flattened abstract forms to represent complex ideas. In his painting Stealth, 1995, Kalkhof explores questions of presence and absence, using a fragmented outline to show the menacing form of the first ‘stealth’ aircraft. In Adams’ response to the Iraq War, The Angels of Destruction, 2002 – 2003, aircraft are turned into simple cross forms, while a small crowd gathers around an injured boy in the grid of the city below.

The exhibition concludes with Palestinian artist Bashar Alhroub’s video-work Heavenly, 2010, a new acquisition presented by the Art Fund and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to IWM and Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Created during a single walk through an abandoned market in the divided city of Hebron in the West Bank, the video is projected onto the gallery ceiling, placing the viewer in the position of the artist and revealing the vulnerable situation at ground level.

Visions of War Above and Below shows bold, thought-provoking and personal responses to modern war from IWM’s art collection. Making connections between modern and contemporary artworks, the exhibition shows the symbols and motifs that artists use to represent and question the complexities of conflict.