This is an oil painting based on a clip of a US Air Force operation in 2023, depicting an AIM-9X missile fired by an F22 fighter jet about to destroy a large balloon. Since the balloon is at 30,000 metres height and the recording is from a fast flying F15 fighter jet at an altitude around 15,000 metres, the fuzzy video is unable to clearly record this critical moment. Therefore, the artist imagines the serene but imminent explosion. Due to its near-perfect sphere, it was impossible to tell if it was a celestial body or an artifact, and its ghostly quality is depicted as by artist’s brush. Yet, its mechanical parts and sharp missiles create a strong contrast. The he eternally azure sky is the perfect backdrop for the explosion. In 0.1 seconds, everything in the picture will go down in smoke.
