Space Art

Now that our scientific instruments can see more than 15 billion light years across the Universe, the Earth is indeed a small, fragile planet.













By now you can tell that I appreciate art, especially the surreal and different kind of art that uses optical illusion, and the illusions of the minds of the people that create. So it's not a surprise that I also have an appreciation for Space Art.































Space Art has been around a long time. From the illustrations of a Jules Vern story, to the animation of The Jetson cartoons. Space Art became popular in the 1950's when the imaginary became reality. Space Art today, is more about human interpretation of reality, than an imagination building an unreal world.



























Space Art can be generated in minutes on a computer. The pioneers of the medium spent days and days creating the color, light, and composition that was truly their own invention, not to mention that everything was hand painted. The Hubble Telescope creates its own real life space art through its photographic lenses.























The artwork of the space shuttle is merely a full color enhancement of a real mechanical design. The design lost out, that is not what the new shuttle will look like. It is amazing how the old Space Art was so reflective of today's real space technology.











It's the appeal and infinity of space itself, that still allows the imagination of both the artist and the viewer, to be enthralled. As imaginative as these Space Artists are, they can't match the real beauty and oddities of space itself.










Below is Alan Bean's hand painted rendition of what he actually saw as an astronaut.
















Below is Norman Rockwell's hand painted rendition of "Man On The Moon"



















Can you tell which of these images are hand painted, or digitally (computer) produced?

Just like the old masters, these images are a result of talent, and take us beyond our own little world.