Jeffrey Milstein | AIRCRAFT: The Jet as Art | Advance Preview

Jeffrey Milstein | AIRCRAFT: The Jet as Art
October 8 - November 2, 2026
Bau-Xi Gallery | Dufferin
1384 Dufferin Street, Toronto

This October, Bau-Xi Gallery | Dufferin presents Aircraft: The Jet as Art, a striking collection of Jeffrey Milstein’s meticulously composed photographs of aircraft in flight. Rooted in a lifelong fascination with art and aviation, Milstein transforms the airplane from a mode of transportation into a subject of visual study, revealing its symmetry, complexity, power, and beauty. Captured with remarkable precision, his photographs freeze moments of motion as aircraft approach the runway at nearly 180 mph, creating images that feel both monumental and weightless. Spanning more than two decades, the exhibition also serves as a record of a changing era of aviation, featuring iconic aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Concorde, many of which have since been retired. 

Artist statement: 

Growing up in Los Angeles, my two passions were art and airplanes. I drew and painted pictures (usually of aircraft) and built and flew model planes. I earned my pilot's license on my seventeenth birthday and immediately took to the skies above LA with a camera.

I loved going to the end of the runway where landing planes flew so low overhead that you felt as though you could reach up and touch them. I took my first photos of landing planes there in 1961.

In 2000, nearly forty years later, I returned to the runway with a high-resolution camera to capture those moments. Over time, the work evolved into a series of highly detailed, precisely framed symmetrical portraits of undersides, front views, and profile perspectives - mostly captured while the planes were on landing approach at nearly 180 mph. The side views, too, were shot while the planes were still airborne just before touchdown. In 2007, Abrams published Aircraft: The Jet as Art, exploring both the distinct uniqueness and shared typology of these machines. These images freeze time and motion, reminding us of the magic inherent in flight and the sheer complexity, beauty, and power of aviation.

Many of the airlines and aircraft I have photographed over the past 25 years have since been retired, making these images historical records. Such is the case with the British Airways Boeing 747, and the legendary Concorde. The Concorde is the only aircraft in this exhibition not photographed in flight, as it was retired before I could capture it in the air; instead, I photographed it from directly above as it rested on the flight deck of the Intrepid Museum. – Jeffrey Milstein

All artworks are now available for acquisition. To secure a piece, please contact us at 416-977-0600 or toronto@bau-xi.com.