Space Art

1. Space Art

2. A Basic Definition Of Space Art • “Space Art” or “Astronomical Art” is the term for a genre of modern artistic expression that strives to show the wonders of the Universe. Like other genres, Space Art has many facets and encompasses realism, impressionism, hardware art, sculpture, abstract imagery, even zoological art. Though artists have been making art with astronomical elements for a long time, the genre of Space Art itself is still in its infancy, having begun only when humanity gained the ability to look off our world and artistically depicted what we see out there.

3. Sub Genres of Space Art • Space Art as a genre and the artists that create it embrace a wide range of styles. In the visual arts these styles can be categorized as follows. • Descriptive Realism. The direct inheritor of the artistic standards of Chesley Bonestell, Descriptive Realism is an aspect of Astronomical Art whose primary emphasis is to show a viewer a scientifically accurate visual depiction of alien places in the Cosmos. When painting Astronomical Art one should have a sense of why the lighting, sky color, even the chosen landscape surroundings appear as they do, and how a change in a specific condition as on other worlds could alter the scene. One should also have a reasonable 'grounding' in science, the nature of the sky and weather, geology for knowing the Earth, as well as Astronomy for knowing the heavens. • Cosmic Impressionism. Like works done in the impressionist era, Space Art works in the Cosmic Impressionism style use color and form to give a viewer the artist’s impression of the image subject matter without trying to be technically accurate, highly detailed, or adhering to known scientific principles. Despite being more loose, the subject matter is still clearly inspired by space. • Hardware Art. Hardware Art is usually similar to Descriptive Realism but focusses on the detailed depiction of the hardware of spaceships, probes, and equipment being used in a space setting. • Sculpture. Works of Space Art Sculpture are more difficult to recognize as such as they are usually more symbolic or abstract in nature, like a rocket shape, stained glass windows representing stellar objects, or a sculptured work designed specifically for zero gravity display. However, the prime inspiration for three dimensional works of Space Art is the same as other styles, space itself. • Cosmic Zoology. Though the question of other life in the universe has yet to be answered, artists can speculate about it and imagine the possibilities. Cosmic Zoology is the depiction of extraterrestrial life in extraterrestrial settings. • Other Endeavors. Works in other methods of artistic expression such as music composition and dance can also be inspired by space and are considered Space Art in their fields.

4. First Original Oil Paintings Flown In Outer Space • An art conservation experiment from Vertical Horizons,[6] founded by Howard Wishnow and Ellery Kurtz, was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-61-C January 12, 1986. Four original oil paintings by American artist Ellery Kurtz were flown in one of NASA's Get Away Special (G.A.S.) container mounted to a bridge in the shuttle cargo bay. These original works of art are the first oil paintings to enter Earth orbit. This NASA GAS canister, designated G-481, was the 46th such canister flown aboard a Space Shuttle. The Space Shuttle Columbia orbited the Earth 98 times during its mission duration time of 6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes and 51 seconds. Columbia was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 12, 1986 and landed at the Kennedy Space Center on January 18, 1986.

5. Arthur Woods Since 1981, Arthur Woods has created a series of sculptures that are characterized by their twisted geometric shapes. The geometric form of these sculptures enabled them to be positioned in different ways. This aspect allows the sculptures to be viewed from different perspectives and, in relation to their surroundings, the same sculpture can appear to be a unique three-dimensional form as a result of its positioning. ( Cosmic Dancer Sculpture, 1993 made by Arthur Woods )

6. Facts About Arthur Woods • Name - Woods • First Name - Arthur • Citizenship - Switzerland • ZIP - 8260 • City - Stein am Rhein • Country - Switzerland • Date of Birth - 26/03/1948 • Place of Birth - United States

7. Three Facts About His Career • For over forty years Woods has created a variety of artistic expressions utilizing an unique pointillistic painting technique inspired by a description of the microcosmos found in contemporary physics. He has also developed an art of the macrocosmos in series of paintings about the Earth - our home planet seen from the perspective of space. • His most innovative and publicized activities have been the actual introduction of art into the world's space programs and into the environment of outer space. Beginning in 1984 he initiated and developed a series of art-in-space projects which were designed to place large sculptures in Earth orbit. Developments about these projects were often reported in the world media. • Since 1995 Arthur Woods has also been active on the Internet. In 1996 he initiated the Swissart Network - a portal dedicated to the contemporary arts in Switzerland.

8. Robert McCall • Robert McCall was a conceptual artist, known particularly for his works of space art. McCall was an illustrator for Life magazine in the 1960s, created promotional artwork for Stanley Kubrick's film 2001. A Space Odyssey and Richard Fleischer's production Tora! Tora! Tora! and worked as an artist for NASA, documenting the history of the Space Race. McCall was also production illustrator on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The character Commander William Riker expressed admiration for the work of "Bob McCall" in one episode of the television series Star Trek : The Next Generation.

9. Facts About Robert McCall • Last Name – McCall • First Name – Robert • Date Of Birth – 12/23/19 • Place Of Birth – United States

10. Three Facts About His Career • McCall was an illustrator for Life magazine in the 1960s, created promotional artwork for Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey and Richard Fleischer's production Tora! Tora! Tora! • worked as an artist for NASA, documenting the history of the Space Race. • McCall was also production illustrator on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

11. Chesley Bonestell • Chesley Bonestell was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings were a major influence on science fiction art and illustration, and he helped inspire the American space program. An early pioneering creator of astronomical art, along with the French astronomer-artist Lucien Rudaux, Bonestell was dubbed the "Father of Modern Space Art".

12. Facts About Chesley Bonestell • Last Name – Bonestell • First Name – Chesley • Date Of Birth - 01/01/88

13. Three Facts About His Career • During his lifetime, Bonestell was honored internationally for the contributions he made to the birth of modern astronautics, from a bronze medal awarded by the British Interplanetary Society to a place in the International Space Hall of Fame to an asteroid named for him. • His paintings are prized by collectors and institutions such as the National Air and Space Museum and the National Collection of Fine Arts. • One of his classic paintings, an ethereally beautiful image of Saturn seen from its giant moon Titan, has been called "the painting that launched a thousand careers.