Bomb art explodes notions of peace and security

Libya wanted to build one. Some fear Iran and North Korea still do.

But a man in Hawthorne has actually done it.

Built his own atom bomb, that is. Sort of.

Robert Wilhite has reproduced "Fat Man," the nuclear bomb that the United States dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, 63 years ago. The devastation from that blast -- coupled with that from another bomb dropped over Hiroshima--prompted Japan to surrender, ending World War II.

Instead of a steel-clad, 5-ton teardrop packed with plutonium, Wilhite's bomb is 135 pounds of molded poplar, mahogany and airplane-grade spruce plywood. It's more a thing of beauty than an instrument of horror.

At least that's the way he sees it, says Wilhite -- an artist whose work in the past has ranged from the design of furniture and flatware to paintings made from dye and metallic powder on handmade paper.

"I wanted something the opposite of heavy," Wilhite said. "I wanted it really light and transparent. I wanted something people would react to. I want people to think about their own values: 'It's beautiful, but wait a minute -- this is a weapon of mass destruction.' "

The bomb art caused a stir on Cordary Avenue where Wilhite spent six months building it in a studio that previously served as a machine shop for the once-thriving aerospace industry.

Neighbors popped in regularly to check on its progress. A globe-trotting European adventurer made a special visit and then wrote of "a weapon of mass destruction in Los Angeles" on his travel blog.

For the past few weeks the finished bomb has stirred debate at a Dallas gallery, where it was on display.

Some viewers have been horrified. Others have remarked that the real Fat Man perhaps saved their fathers and thousands of other GIs who were poised to invade Japan as the war dragged on.

"We've heard everything from, 'Why would you want to do this?' to 'This is a beautiful thing, but it's scary as hell,' " said gallery owner Barry Whistler, who will show the bomb through July 26.

Texas art reviewers have come away with similar feelings. "Is it likely that one could feast their eyes upon a weapon of mass destruction and find a feeling of warmth?" asked one.

The bomb "presents a complicated visual and emotional mix of elegance and menace," wrote another. "The aesthetic force of Wilhite's sculpture oscillates between the poles of one's attraction to its improbable beauty and the anxiety engendered by its subject matter."