week 9: space & art
I have always been afraid of space. Growing up, my family would often drive from the Bay to LA, and we would always drive at night to avoid traffic. However, those long night drives down the I-5 coupled with the little to no light pollution and endless fields would send my anxiety through the roof. It would feel as though we were just driving straight into darkness, straight into space. I would press my cheek against the coldness of the car window and look up, only to see a sea of darkness with eerily glowing specks of light. For the longest time, I struggled to watch films of anything space-related. In fact, on a class field trip in which we were meant to watch and enjoy a space exploration documentary at the I-Max theater, I squeezed my eyes shut the entire time, willing myself to sleep just to avoid being consumed.
Though I am still afraid of space, I am grateful for its beauty and its imbrication with art. There's an episode of Love, Death, & Robots based off the short story by Michael Swanwick titled The Very Pulse of the Machine. The artistic elements of the story–the richness of color and narration–serve to highlight the enchanting allure of space, while simultaneously evoking emotions of suspense, anxiety, and fear. Though the background continuously morphs into majestic scenes, the plot itself reminds the viewer of the continuous presence of the unknown. That, though we may look to space with awe and curiosity, there will always be an element of the unfamiliar.
Space exploration has always played a role in inspiring artistic expression. In fact, the 1962 NASA Art Program aimed to utilize art for the sake of cementing space milestones (Alaina 2019). For example, Andy Warhol’s Moonwalk (1987) pays homage to the journey and strength it took for the first moon landing. However, the painting depicts an almost electrified image; Warhol’s added hues and saturation create a psychedelic-feel (ArtSpace 2017).
“Andy Warhol, Moonwalk, 1987, Screen Print (s).” Fine Art Original Prints, www.masterworksfineart.com/artists/andy-warhol/screen-print/moonwalk-1987/id/W-6439. Accessed 2 June 2023.
In the contemporary world, art is actually being launched into space. In fact, space is seen as a vessel to further enriched artistic perspective, a type of “cultural laboratory” that engages with space (Maldonado 2022). In fact, the work of Beyond Earth aims to invest in new pathways of perspective and consciousness through the expansion of art into space (Beyond Earth). In doing this, artists hope to galvanize inspiration and vision among other creatives in an effort to expand art mediums as well as space exploration (Lewinski 2021).
“Projects - Living Light.” BEYOND EARTH, 23 June 2021, beyond-earth.org/projects-living-light/.
Works Cited
Alaina, et al. “How on Earth Are NASA Science and Art Related?” How on Earth Are NASA Science and Art Related?, 28 Aug. 2019, www.kennedyspacecenter.com/blog/how-on-earth-are-nasa-science-and-art-related.
“Beyond Earth -- Exploring New Frontiers of Art, Space, and Biology.” BEYOND EARTH, 11 Jan. 2023, beyond-earth.org/.
Editors, Artspace. “Ten Modern Masters Who Elevated ‘Space Art’ to Astronomical Heights.” Artspace, 3 Oct. 2017, www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/book_report/ten-depictions-of-the-cosmos-by-modern-masters-55022.
Lewinski, John Scott. “Art Destined for Space Has an Earthly Impact.” Barron’s, 3 Sep. 2021, www.barrons.com/articles/art-destined-for-space-has-an-earthly-impact-01630701380.
Maldonado, Devon Van Houten. “The Artworks Floating above the Earth.” BBC Culture, 24 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181214-the-artworks-floating-above-the-earth.
Netflix. “‘The Very Pulse of the Machine’ -- Love, Death & Robots.” IMDb, 20 May 2022, www.imdb.com/title/tt20193012/.
Images Cited
“Andy Warhol, Moonwalk, 1987, Screen Print (s).” Fine Art Original Prints, www.masterworksfineart.com/artists/andy-warhol/screen-print/moonwalk-1987/id/W-6439. Accessed 2 June 2023.
“Projects - Living Light.” BEYOND EARTH, 23 June 2021, beyond-earth.org/projects-living-light/.
“The Very Pulse of the Machine || Love, Death & Robots.” YouTube, 24 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=l39k6G6lHGI.
Hi Kylie!! I really enjoyed reading about your relationship with space since you were a little kid. I remember watching movies like "Interstellar" and being terrified of space as well! I loved your inclusion of the short story by Michael Swanwick titled The Very Pulse of the Machine because many of the elements you mentioned were very important to the connection between space and art. I found this weeks topic very interesting because if I were to never had taken this class I would have no perception of how important the connection with art truly is! Really nice job this week and the whole quarter so far!!
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