Week 9 | Space + Art

Space and art seem unrelated at first, but there have been numerous examples of space and art. Such as space designs on notebooks, baby rockers with planets, or even popular sayings, such as "
Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.". Space has been utilized in art, and it has been so normalized that many people do not realize it without reflection.

Image from potterybarnkids

This week's guest speaker was Richelle Gribble, a Space Artist. I never knew that Space Artists existed, let alone what they did in their career. As an ecology major, I am interested in the various ecosystems across the world. As a Space Artist, Richelle Gribble is able to visit ecosystems found across the world. She then uses these experiences to create art. The art that she creates is on a larger scale than typical art. She creates art that represents the interactions between organisms in the environment. Typically art is limited to certain scenes or events. The utilization of space and art allows for a larger and complete picture, and this context allows people to draw a deeper connection with the art. 

Image from richellegribble


Another more direct example of the blend between art and space is the image of Earth that came default on iPhones. The image of the Earth is called the "Blue Marble". The Blue Marble utilized thousands of satellite images from space in order to create the artwork. The image was chosen as the default background on the iPhone due to it likely being found an aesthetic image by a majority of people. This shows how images of space have far-reaching impacts and significance. Not only is the image just an example of space and art coming together; it also makes people realize how vast space is. Earth is surrounded and dwarfed by space. Art has generally been limited to things on Earth, but Earth is just a small portion of our universe. It brings to question what will be possible in the future with advancements in technology that will allow us to adventure further into space. Art will continue to exist, and expand beyond just Earth. I believe space art is a more general term due to our current technological limitations, and as we explore more there will be more specific genres that developed, such as milky way art, mars art, etc. Space and Art show the limitless potential that art has.

Image from NASA





Works Cited

“Blue Marble Next Generation.” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/BlueMarble/BlueMarble_2002.php.

“The 'Blue Marble' Shot Through History.” World Science Festival, 4 Apr. 2017, www.worldsciencefestival.com/2015/07/blue-marble-shot-history.

“Elegant Figures - Crafting the Blue Marble.” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/elegantfigures/2011/10/06/crafting-the-blue-marble/.

“Overview.” RICHELLE GRIBBLE, www.richellegribble.com/overview.

“Planet Wool Ceiling Mobile.” Pottery Barn Kids, www.potterybarnkids.com/products/planet-wool-hanging-mobile/

“What Is Space Art?” International Association of Astronomical Artists, iaaa.org/what-is-space-art/.

“Why We Need Space Artists - Room: The Space Journal.” Room, The Space Journal, room.eu.com/article/why-we-need-space-artists.

Yanofsky, David. “The Guy Who Created the IPhone's Earth Image Explains Why He Needed to Fake It.” Quartz, Quartz, qz.com/192700/the-guy-who-created-iphones-earth-image-explains-why-he-needed-to-fake-it/.

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