ars astronautica texts and articles
Astronomical Art
Arthur Woods
2001-2008
Astronomical art typically deals with images of the cosmos like those created by early space art pioneers such as Lucien Rudaux, Chesley Bonestell, Ludek Pesek and David A. Hardy, who not only anticipated some of the results of space exploration, but in some senses made space exploration possible by generating public interest and support as well as by helping scientists and engineers plan and illustrate their experiments.
The works of present day astronomical artists, most notably those by Micheal Carroll Lynette Cook, Mark Garlick, William K. Hartmann, Robert T. McCall, Ron Miller and Pat Rawlings often appear in scientific magazines and in the publications of the space agencies depicting new discoveries and technological developments. Others, such as Don Davis and Rick Sternbach, have contributed their skills to the television and movie industries.
Ludek Pesek, Saturn from Rhea
Former astronaut Alan Bean and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov have created astronomical art works based on their personal experiences outer space both while in orbit and on the surface of the Moon. Bean’s paintings of lunar landscapes evoke “what it was like” for a human being to actually be walking on the Moon’s surface. Leonov is credited with making the first drawings of space while in orbit and he also enabled the transport of paintings from his artist colleagues such Andrei Sokolov to the Russian space stations and discussed the accuracy of their renderings of the space environment.
"Astronomical art is the aspect of "Space Art" devoted to visualizing the wonders of outer space. A major emphasis of such art is the space environment as a new frontier for humanity. Many other works portray alien worlds, extremes of matter such as black holes, and concepts arising from inspiration derived from astronomy.
Astronomical art was largely pioneered in the 1940s and 50s by the abilities of Chesley Bonestell to solve formidable perspective problems, paint with the eye of a master matte artist to create a realistic visual impression, and to seek out the greatest experts in the fields which fascinated him. His work helped inspire many in the post war era to think about space travel, which seemed fantastic before the V-2 rocket. To this day numerous artists assist in bringing ideas into presentable form in the space community, both in portraying the latest ideas on how to leave Earth and in showing wonders awaiting us out there.
Astronomical Art is the most recent of several art movements which have explored the inspirational ideas emerging from ongoing exploration of Earth, (Hudson River school, or Luminism) the distant past, (ancient history and prehistoric animal art) and finally the steadily revealed universe. Most Astronomical artists use traditional painting methods or digital equivalents in a way which brings the viewer to the frontiers of human knowledge gathered in the exploration of space. Such works usually portray things in the familiar visual language of realism extrapolated to exotic environments whose details reflect ongoing knowledge and educated guesswork. An example of the process of creating astronomical art would be studying and visiting desert environments to experience something of what it might be like on Mars, and painting based on such experience. Another would be to hear of something likely to be amazing to watch close up, then seeking out published articles or experts in the field. Usually there is an artistic effort to emphasize the favorable visual elements just as a photographer composes a picture. The best astronomical art shares with the viewer what it is that catches the artists imagination about the subject portrayed."
The International Association of Astronomical Artists is an organization founded in 1982 which now has over 150 members of this genre and is celebrating their 25th anniversary (2008).
The following excerpts are from the IAAA Manifesto.
In the 1800s, artists accompanied explorers into the frontiers of the Americas and sent back colorful images of the new lands. Paintings from Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt spurred further exploration of the West, and helped to preserve Yellowstone, Yosemite, and other areas as national parks. In 1872, Frederick Church, the highest paid painter of his day, financed his own expeditions to paint polar aurorae, icebergs in the Arctic Sea, and volcanoes in South America. But soon, the Earth's frontier lands disappeared and the link between art and exploration broke down.
Today, we receive images from a new frontier that is rapidly expanding, planet to planet, into space. A new link is being forged by a new generation of exploration artists—Space Artists. Armed with science, creativity and imagination, they construct realistic images of visions throughout the Universe, from our Earth to the Stars. Not only realist; surrealist and impressionist styles are equally valuable in this adventurous and innovative field.
Space art serves the most basic function of fine art, that of inspiration. It directs our focus toward the space frontier, where human destiny inevitably lies. We are in the midst of a human adventure that will be remembered when the international squabbles of our century are long forgotten. We are stepping off ancestral earth and learning what wonders and resources are scattered throughout the starlit blackness of space. It is an adventure for artists, scientists and all mankind.
The IAAA was founded in 1982 by a small group of artists who journeyed through the fascinating but seldom trod territory where science and art overlap.
From these pioneering astronomical artists (unlike their colleagues in science fiction and fantasy, with whom they are sometimes confused by the uninitiated), a firm foundation of knowledge and research is the basis for each painting. Striving to accurately depict scenes which are at present beyond the range of human eyes, they communicate a binding dream of adventure and exploration as they focus on the final frontier—space.
Their work has also grown, to incorporate a number of styles and viewpoints. At times the art may step outside the bounds of scientific rendering, to address the broader implications that space poses for humanity. However, no matter which form of expression the artist chooses to take, the common inspirations held by all are astronomy and space exploration.
In addition to painting skills, the diverse allies of an astronomical artist include personal computers, NASA photographs, field geologists, space scientists, astronomers, astrophysicists, science writers, and travel agents... (of course, some artists may also hold positions as any of the above). They may find themselves in a training simulator at Johnson Space Center, exploring an active volcanic crater, such as in Iceland or Hawaii, studying the erosion patterns in Utah's Canyonlands, or talking to an Apollo astronaut about subtleties of color in lunar shadows. Workshops are held, at which knowledge and techniques are shared, friendships among many nationalities are forged, at the same time as new landscapes are explored for future use (literally).