9: Space + Art

Pale Blue Dot photo.  The circled dot is Earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot

Space is incredible.  Considering its vastness and beauty, it is no surprise that it has been the subject of much art.  There is also a sort of incomprehensibility of the relation of people to all the much larger objects and systems in the universe.  This is demonstrated in the film Powers of Ten, where it can be seen that as your view changes by orders of magnitude, there is a remarkable change in what you see.  Reflecting on the Pale Blue Dot photo (of Earth), Carl Sagan talked about how everything that has so much meaning to people is just found on a tiny dot that is easily lost in the rest of the universe.  Learning more about space definitely makes people feel more small, but it also inspires some to explore the territory beyond earth, whether physically or, probably more feasibly, artistically and philosophically.

The original Star Trek
http://nerdist.com/minimalist-original-series-
star-trek-art-is-super-groovy/

Out of the topics we've explored in this class, I think the influence of space on art and popular culture has been one of those most apparent to me.  However, it took me a moment to realize it because it has become so integrated; for example, space travel is in classics like Star Trek and Star Wars.  It is also interesting how space exploration was featured in books and films well before the actual technology was developed.  Space has always captured people's imaginations -- it is a realm of so much unknown possibility.



As scientists have found ways to go into space and learn more about the universe, it has influenced more current art.  For example, the Dancing on the Ceiling exhibition explores transcendence and zero gravity, and the fact that people can never escape gravity.  Space exploration also made the art of Chesley Bonestell possible.  Bonestell created images of views from various locations in space.  I do not think we will ever get tired of looking at our universe -- space will never cease to amaze people and inspire their art.

Exploring Mars, by Chesley Bonestell
http://www.bonestell.org/

Sources:

"A Pale Blue Dot." The Planetary Society Blog. Web. 25 May 2016.

"Chesley Bonestell." About Chesley Bonestell. Bonestell LLC. Web. 25 May 2016.

EamesOffice. "Powers of Ten™ (1977)." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 25 May 2016.

Forde, Kathleen. "Dancing on the Ceiling: Art & Zero Gravity." Dancing on the Ceiling. Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. Web. 25 May 2016.

"The Leonardo Space Art Project Working Group." Leonardo Space Art Project. Leonardo. Web. 25 May 2016.