Week 9 - Space + Art

 Space and Art

        Over the course of this quarter and looking into all the different ways in which art, design, media, and science all overlap and play a role in each other's field, I think that looking at space is a great way to bridge all of the ideas. I think that the major idea of this week's topic can be related to so many things we have discussed in weeks' two, three, and six. To look into the details of space and time, we have to look at how math plays a role, how robotics takes a role, and how nanotechnology plays a role. With all of this being said, I think that the idea that I latched onto this week was the idea of the "power of tens" as well as Professor Vesna's note about looking into other planets while also taking care of our own. 

        First, in the "Power of Tens" lecture video, we were learning about how in order to really take a deeper dive into the world of space and other life forms on other planets, we have to take a look at the ways in which organisms and life is broken down. This is where the "Power of Tens" came into play. Which in the grand scheme of things, this is math that we are working with to bring these ideas to life. This also is looking into the idea that art has to be broken down into so many levels from a blank canvas, to the sketch, to the final product. 

        In addition to the connection between math, space, and art, we can also take a view point on the connection between robotics, space, and art. We have looked into how robots and art have worked together to create some pretty cool visuals and pieces that are now being highly viewed in the art and robotics world, as well as how robotics and art could bring a lot of great change to our current society. I believe that this is something so intriguing to learn more about and bring more light to, as we expand on the ideas of space and art as well, since we have robots and rovers out on different planets and moons transmitting data and pictures of what space looks like. 

        With all of this being said, I really do think that the connection between space and art is vast. From paintings like "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gough to how space and the galaxy worked its way into being a trend in fashion and design during the 2010s. I have now made more connections between art, space, robotics, and math than I would have expected to previously to this course. 

Works Cited: 

Powers of Ten™ (1977). Directed by Eames Office, 2010. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0.

Maldonado, Devon Van Houten. “The Artworks Floating above the Earth.” BBC News, BBC, 24 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181214-the-artworks-floating-above-the-earth. 

“Mars Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity - NASA Science.” NASA, NASA, 2019, science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-exploration-rovers-spirit-and-opportunity/. 

Miller, Ron. “Timeline: Early Space Art.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, artmuseum.princeton.edu/transient-effects/painter-sun/northern-lights-and-worlds-beyond/imagining-un-seeable-early-space-artists%E2%80%94-timeline/timeline-early-space-art. Accessed 30 May 2024. 

Tan, Adlina. “6 Artists and Their Interest in Outer Space.” The Artling, 25 Aug. 2021, theartling.com/en/artzine/6-artists-and-their-interest-outer-space/. 

Images Cited:

AhmadArt. “How to Draw Galaxy | Acrylic Painting Techniques | Easy Painting Step by Step for Beginners.” YouTube, YouTube, 4 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5z4ecpEbgk. 

“Spirit - NASA Science.” NASA, NASA, science.nasa.gov/mission/mer-spirit/. Accessed 30 May 2024.

“VINCENT VAN GOGH: STARRY NIGHT.” The Van Gough Gallery, www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html. Accessed 30 May 2024.