Etching, graphite and chalk on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/colin-self-1922" aria-label="More by Colin Self" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Colin Self</a>
Bomber 1
Purchased 1983
abstraction
aircraft, military
from recognisable sources
history
man-made
politics and society
politics: Cold War, post-1945
society
transport: air
<p>Colin Self’s works from the 1960s express his anxiety about nuclear war in a time of Cold War threat and extensive weapon testing. As a child growing up in Norwich during the Second World War, Self witnessed German Luftwaffe bombing raids, and his depictions of bombers are marked by an ambivalent reference to the horror of war, but also to children’s toys. For <span>Bomber No.1</span>, Self used industrial metal objects he found on a rubbish dump, and applied ink to them before passing them through the printing press, manipulating the traditional way of making etchings.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2018</em></p>
paper unique etching graphite chalk
30 June 2004 – 26 September 2004
2004-09-26
30 June 2004 – 26 September 2004
2004-09-26
2004-06-30
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
23 October 2004 – 3 April 2005
2005-04-03
2004-10-23
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham, UK)
http://www.bmag.org.uk
28 October 2005 – 5 February 2006
2006-02-05
2005-10-28
National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au
25 February 2006 – 2 July 2006
2006-07-02
2006-02-25
Auckland Art Gallery (Auckland, New Zealand)
2004-06-30
Art and the Sixties: This was Tomorrow
Collection based display
25 October 2004 – 31 December 2005
2005-12-31
25 October 2004 – 3 April 2005
2005-04-03
2004-10-25
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham, UK)
http://www.bmag.org.uk
28 October 2005 – 5 February 2006
2006-02-05
2005-10-28
National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au
25 February 2006 – 28 May 2006
2006-05-28
2006-02-25
Auckland Art Gallery (Auckland, New Zealand)
2004-10-25
This was Tomorrow: Art & the 60s
Loan-out
2 April 2018 – 25 March 2019
2019-03-25
2 April 2018 – 25 March 2019
2019-03-25
2018-04-02
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2018-04-02
'Sixty Years' refresh TG.040 - TG.048
Collection based display
Bomber No. 1
support: 396 × 576 mm
Purchased 1983
<div class="text">
<p>Colin Self’s works from the 1960s express his anxiety about nuclear war in a time of Cold War threat and extensive weapon testing. As a child growing up in Norwich during the Second World War, Self witnessed German Luftwaffe bombing raids, and his depictions of bombers are marked by an ambivalent reference to the horror of war, but also to children’s toys. For <i>Bomber No.1</i>, Self used industrial metal objects he found on a rubbish dump, and applied ink to them before passing them through the printing press, manipulating the traditional way of making etchings.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2018-08-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/self-bomber-no-1-p07747" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P07747</span></a> <b>Bomber No.1</b> 1963
<br/>
<br/>Etching from found metal plates laid together, with pencil, chalk and collage 15 5/8 × 22 5/8 (396 × 576), printed by the artist at the Slade School of Art in an edition of 5
<br/>Inscribed ‘Colin Self 1963’ b.r. and ‘(Bomber No.1)’ and ‘1/1’ and ‘Edition of 5 or 6 varying <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/print" title="Glossary definition for 'Print'"><span>prints</span></a> No.2’
<br/>Purchased from the artist (Grant-in-Aid) 1983
<br/>
<br/>‘This was and is (remains) a terribly important little <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/etching" title="Glossary definition for 'Etching'"><span>etching</span></a> and IS the world's first Multiple Plate etching.’ The insignia, from model-kit transfers, were added to subvert orthodox printing practice and, as they were different in each case, ‘not to blame any one Nation for the fearful state of the political world’. The plates were found on a rubbish dump at University College; Self sawed one in half to make the wings. Using popular art, ‘people's art’, such as transfers or found components ‘waiting to be printed’, was an important part of the concept of this and other works of this date (and later). This print is related to ‘one or two “Rape” <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/diptych" title="Glossary definition for 'Diptych'"><span>diptych</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> where there were women on the right of the drawing and where a nuclear bomber is flying into the picture on the left. There were transfers on the bombers.’
<br/>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/><i>The Tate Gallery 1982-84: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions</i>, London 1986
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-13T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
abstraction aircraft, military from recognisable sources history man-made politics and society politics: Cold War, post-1945 society transport: air