Week 9 | Space + Art | Maya Srinivasan

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The topic for this week, space and its relationship with art, showcases how artists and scientists have the ability to collaborate and enhance society's views on our galaxy. To fully appreciate the complexities of this phenomenon, we must first step back and observe its beginnings. As Professor Vesna notes in her lecture, "science flourished through the renaissance" as individuals began to ponder the idea of space and developed tools to aid them (Vesna). 


Nicolaus Copernicus was one of the pioneers of this space-related movement. This Polish astronomer developed the Heliocentric Model, claiming that all planets in our solar system revolve around the Sun (Westman).  This directly opposed what most individuals during that time period believed, as teachings from the Church dictated that the Earth was the center of the universe. However, because of Copernicus' extensive research and ability to demonstrate his ideas through drawings, people began to change their minds. Experts believe that Copernicus' theories "formed a strong foundation for future scientists, such as Galileo, to build on and improve humanity's understanding of the motion of heavenly bodies" (Tillman). 


There are many artists today who have dedicated their craft to space exploration. One example is Marie Laurberg's exhibition The Moon: From Inner Worlds to Outer Space, displayed in Denmark. This exhibit aims to "explore the Moon as an artistic icon, symbol of longing and object of scientific inquiry" (Klein). Additionally, Japanese artist Makoto Azuma expressed his interest in the cosmos in an unprecedented manner. Azuma "launched a 50-year-old white pine bonsai tree and a bouquet of flowers nearly 1000,00 feet into the stratosphere" for his project. He wanted to convey the beauty of nature and the power of releasing oneself from the bounds of Earth (Nunes). 





The artists of today and astronomers of the past undoubtedly complement one another. Without groundbreaking discoveries of various planetary orbits or detailed depictions of planets, astounding works of art would simply not exist. 

References:

Getty Images. “Copernican Heliocentric System Art Print by Print Collector.” Photos.com, 2018, https://photos.com/featured/copernican-heliocentric-system-print-collector.html?product=art-print. 

Klein, Yves. “The Moon: From Inner Worlds to Outer Space, 2018.” Yves Klein, 2019, https://www.yvesklein.com/en/expositions/view/1574/the-moon-from-inner-worlds-to-outer-space/?of=23. 

Mohammed, Mohamed. “This Week in Our Space.com Forums: Astro-Ethics, the Expanding Universe and Space Art!” Space.com, Space, 30 Apr. 2021, https://www.space.com/space-forums-april-30-2021. 

Nast, Condé. “The Japanese Artist Who Sends His Work to Space.” The New Yorker, 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-new-yorker-documentary-the-japanese-artist-who-sends-his-work-to-space. 

Nunes, Andrew. “Far out! These 5 Cosmic Art Projects Prove That Outer Space Is the next Avant-Garde Frontier.” Artnet News, 12 Feb. 2019, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-outer-space-1462288. 

Tillman, Nola Taylor. “Nicolaus Copernicus Biography: Facts & Discoveries.” Space.com, Space, 17 Jan. 2022, https://www.space.com/15684-nicolaus-copernicus.html. 

Vesna , Victoria. “Lecture Part 1.” Space + Art. 2022. 

Westman, Robert S. “Nicolaus Copernicus.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., May 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolaus-Copernicus. 


Comments

  1. Angie MadridMay 26, 2022 at 10:44 AM

    Hey Maya! I really enjoyed your post and the examples of space art you provided. I was especially interested in artist Makoto Azuma’s piece of launching a bonsai tree and flowers into the stratosphere. I think it does of great of providing the audience with a powerful message that we can go beyond the confines of the Earth. I think it is inspiring to know it is possible for nature to go far beyond what we had previously imagined. I think I also took from it that we can overcome natural constraints such as gravity as well. If a plant can be sent to space and defy gravity, what stops us from exploring the cosmos and doing it as well?

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  2. Thatcher HurdJune 10, 2022 at 7:01 PM

    Hi Maya, I though you did a very nice job with this blog. I thought your examples and art you used really helped drive home your analysis. I thought your facts about Copernicus really showed the development of space and art and how they are connected with one another, while always expanding barriers of our art and development. It is exciting to think about what future exploration has in store for us and how we will continue to push the envelope on the space frontier. Nice work Maya.

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