Week 9 | Space and Art | Asha Agarwal
Space encapsulates the world beyond our world, the expansive universe engulfing our tiny dot of a planet, the cushion to the pale blue dot that is the Earth we call home. In the words of Carl Sagan discussion the image below, “Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was” (Sagan). To say this creates perspective is an understatement and all from a grainy picture that would never have made it into the final photo album (Szoldra). Every scientific finding, every piece of art, and every important person to have ever lived and loved is part of the tiniest fraction of the universe we live in. I think we can all agree: space is beautiful.
Now what is incredible is that humans have found a way to make such vastness and complexity available to the public in an accessible and inviting forum: mass media. Space in the media is such a captivating topic because it allows us to take a step back and really understand how shows and movies like The Jetsons, Star Trek, and Star Wars have shaped our understanding of the beauty in space (Vesna). Not only that, but space has now become readily available for not just the elites and top scientists in the field, but for anyone interested of any age or economic class. Anyone could tune in to the first man to walk on the moon or a rocket being launched into space (Cappella).
Not only has space been portrayed in television and digital media, but it has been an inspiration to artists as well. Art has long been a way of confronting the human experience and understanding our place in this world, so it is only natural that space and our place in the universe play a large role in inspiring such pieces (“Ten Modern Masters…”).
I have found this unit to be one of deep reflection and beautiful inspiration, and I think it is the perfect end to an incredible class!
References:
Cappella, Matteo. “The Media and Space Travel.” Space Generation Advisory Council, 6 Apr. 2021, https://spacegeneration.org/the-media-and-space-travel.
Sagan, Carl. “A Pale Blue Dot.” The Planetary Society, 1994, https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot.
Szoldra, Paul. “26 Years Ago, Carl Sagan Gave Us an Incredible Perspective on Our Planet.” Business Insider, 14 Feb. 2016, https://www.businessinsider.com/pale-blue-dot-carl-sagan-2016-1.
“Ten Modern Masters Who Elevated 'Space Art' to Astronomical Heights.” Artspace, 3 Oct. 2017, https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/book_report/ten-depictions-of-the-cosmos-by-modern-masters-55022.
Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part 6” Space+Art | Lectures. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/129896/pages/unit-9-view?module_item_id=4852552.
“NASA - Earth - Pale Blue Dot.” Posters & Wall Prints by Posterlounge, https://www.posterlounge.com/p/720148.html.
Now what is incredible is that humans have found a way to make such vastness and complexity available to the public in an accessible and inviting forum: mass media. Space in the media is such a captivating topic because it allows us to take a step back and really understand how shows and movies like The Jetsons, Star Trek, and Star Wars have shaped our understanding of the beauty in space (Vesna). Not only that, but space has now become readily available for not just the elites and top scientists in the field, but for anyone interested of any age or economic class. Anyone could tune in to the first man to walk on the moon or a rocket being launched into space (Cappella).
Ciuraneta, Cristian. “Star Wars: In What Order to Watch All the Movies and Series? (2022).” Meristation USA, 4 May 2022, https://en.as.com/meristation_en/2022/05/04/news/1651692632_618632.html.
Not only has space been portrayed in television and digital media, but it has been an inspiration to artists as well. Art has long been a way of confronting the human experience and understanding our place in this world, so it is only natural that space and our place in the universe play a large role in inspiring such pieces (“Ten Modern Masters…”).
Bonestell, Chesley. “Bonestell - Image Gallery.” Chesley Bonestell, https://www.bonestell.org/Image-Gallery.aspx#images-21.
I have found this unit to be one of deep reflection and beautiful inspiration, and I think it is the perfect end to an incredible class!
References:
Cappella, Matteo. “The Media and Space Travel.” Space Generation Advisory Council, 6 Apr. 2021, https://spacegeneration.org/the-media-and-space-travel.
Sagan, Carl. “A Pale Blue Dot.” The Planetary Society, 1994, https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot.
Szoldra, Paul. “26 Years Ago, Carl Sagan Gave Us an Incredible Perspective on Our Planet.” Business Insider, 14 Feb. 2016, https://www.businessinsider.com/pale-blue-dot-carl-sagan-2016-1.
“Ten Modern Masters Who Elevated 'Space Art' to Astronomical Heights.” Artspace, 3 Oct. 2017, https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/book_report/ten-depictions-of-the-cosmos-by-modern-masters-55022.
Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part 6” Space+Art | Lectures. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/129896/pages/unit-9-view?module_item_id=4852552.
I also mentioned how Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" provided perspective to our role in the universe. I enjoyed the artistic modes you selected like Star Wars and Bonestell's illustrations. I believe both of these works encapsulated the mysterious and exciting frontier that is space.
ReplyDeleteHi Asha! I thought your post was fascinating to read and captivating! Your introduction was great as it introduces the reader to the topic of space, and it gives the reader perspective: we are just on the blue dot called Earth. It made me think about how small we and the Earth are in comparison to the universe and many different galaxies. I agree with you and think that space is beautiful and so engaging! I like how you discussed space in popular culture and mass media, such as Star Wars and Star Trek. I also liked the beautiful art piece you chose as it connects space and art. I also think this is a great way to end the class! Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Asha, I really enjoyed your post! It was a great idea to incorporate the perception of how small the earth actually is compared to everything else. I think as humans we forget how small we are all the time and there is so much more out there. I really enjoyed the pale blue dot as well!
ReplyDeleteHi Asha! Great post this week! I also talked about the Pale Blue Dot and how small we really are in comparison to the universe. I also liked how you talked about how space has been so influential in the media with Star Wars and the Jetsons. The huge fan bases of Star Wars has only attracted more and more people to space and the greater universe.
ReplyDeleteHey Asha, I found reading your essay to be informative and interesting! Your beginning was excellent since it gave the audience an outlook on space and explained that we are only on a blue dot known as Earth. It got me to thinking of how tiny the planet and the cosmos are in the context of all the other galaxies. I concur with you and find the area to be lovely and fascinating! Your discussion on space in popular culture and the media, including the films Star Wars and the TV series Star Trek, was excellent. Since it links artwork and the universe, I also like the lovely artwork you selected.
ReplyDeleteGood evening Asha, you had an very informative post this week because talking about pale blue dot and the comparison to our universe I could relate to that. I also seen what you were trying to say and your preceptive on the moon and whats going on up there. You talking about the moon reminds me of the guardian of the galaxy and what they did and do in outerspace.
ReplyDelete