Week 9: Space + Art


As Dr. Vesna points out, space truly represents an embodiment of the topics we learned in class from mathematics and nanotechnology to understand the universe to robotics to help us tangible reach and study space.
TIME magazine cover showing the US-Soviet space race
(alpha history <http://alphahistory.com/coldwar/space-race/>)

It was amazing to see the beginning of space exploration since it first started before I was born. With the start of the Space Race from Soviet Union’s launch of the first satellite in 1957, there was a mark shift in culture. As Dr. Vesna states, the Space Race changed the educational system and impacted the possibilities of imagination and popular culture.

This space exploration imagination can be seen with artists in how they incorporate space in their work. B.E. Johnson is a remarkable representation of this intersection of art and space as an engineer and astronomical and space artist. His photographs pay tribute to the great technological and engineering feats needed to accomplish space exploration, while his paintings portray stunning illustrations of space and in his words, “inspire new generations to explore space.” However, it was his 3D modeling designs that were truly mesmerizing to me. His work explores a space orbiting inflatable hotel with detailed models of the outside, observation lounge, specific suites, central hubs, and arenas. These visualizations open the door to this possibility among scientists and artists alike.

Photograph by B.E. Johnson depicting main engines of a space shuttle, titled The Thrust of the Matter
(Imperial Earth photography <http://imperialearth.com/cgi-bin/imaget.cgi?filename=ssme.jpg&title=The%20Thrust%20of%20the%20Matter>)

A New Horizon by B.E. Johnson
(Imperial Earth paintings <http://imperialearth.com/cgi-bin/pimaget.cgifilename=newhorizon600.jpg&title=A%20New%20Horizon>)

The NewSpace Orbiting Inflatable Hotel: Final Approach by B.E. Johnson
(Cineforge <http://cineforge.com/3D/concept/habitat/approach.html>)
The NewSpace Orbiting Inflatable Hotel: Suite - Sleeping Cozy by B.E. Johnson
(Cineforge <http://cineforge.com/3D/concept/habitat/sleeping-cozy.html>)

In a similar way of pushing the boundaries in space was the topic discussed in lecture of using planetary resources such as a robotic asteroid mining industry to create a new economy or sustain human life. With traveling to the moon, an idea thought of before as science fiction, this concept may be very near into the future especially with heightening environmental problems and increasing private investment in the space sector. Popular culture plays on this concept with movies such as Interstellar, where other planets and moons house and sustain human life.


To learning about how space exploration encompasses a variety of disciplines, the beginning of our understanding of space, the incorporation of space in art, and the use of space in the future, this week’s lectures and readings gave me a whole new perspective on space.

References:

Johnson, B.E. "The Space Art of B.E. Johnson." Imperial Earth. Spherical Magic, 2017. Web. 05 June 2017. <http://imperialearth.com/>.

 “Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers.” Leonardo Space Art Project. MIT Press, 1996. Web. 4 June 2017.

Eames Office. “Powers of Ten™ (1977).” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 26 August 2010. Web. 4 June 2017.
UC Online Program. “8 space pt2 1280x720.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 4 June 2017.

UC Online Program. “Space pt5.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 30 May 2012. Web. 4 June 2017.

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