Space Art Continuum

In certain respects the term “space art” is an overly broad term in that most art could qualify as space art, but as a genre and specific style, as it has come to be defined and seen, space art concerns itself primarily with visualizing all things astronomical, planetary, interstellar, galactic and cosmological but also includes hypothesis and theory. space art is a form of scientific illustration in it’s determined effort to be accurate and yet speculatively predictive.

as a distinct niche genre, formal space art began in planetariums to support and add context to sky shows introducing the public to the night sky. helmut wimmer at hayden planetarium in new york and victor costanzo at rochester planetarium developed “ the look” only an airbrush can create. the effect of stars that glow, soft terminators on planets, moons and craters, atmospherics and clouds, interstellar dust and gas, clusters of galaxies . the art evolved fully into it’s own distinct hyper style with artist adolf schaller in the pages of Astronomy magazine in the early 1970’s, i was already a fine airbrush artist in 1975 when i discovered the magazine in a small print shop where i was interviewing for a job. it turned out they did the typesetting for Astronomy magazine. I didn’t get the print job but the next day i showed up at the office of Astronomy magazine, where i eventually did get a job. I learned fast through the influence and editorial demands of Steven Walther, founder of the magazine, that convincing realism and scientific accuracy were the cornerstone requirements for astronomical art to be published in the magazine.

although the classic space art painting era has been eclipsed by telescopes in space, missions to all of the planets and big data viz, the art of space continues to project an artistic vision of our unique place in the universe. the following paintings, astro electronica and visionaria are my contribution to the evolution of the space art continuum.

visualization anthem

search for the oculist witness

in the beginning

there are trillions of planets

another milky way called then.

adolf schaller • mark paternostro • asimov universe

stars blow up

binary blow out

Suns, Moons and Others

SETI speaks

talking back to SETI

galaxy called Then

a thousand years from then

is a long time to be suspended in animation • pre wakes have been warmed • there’s action in the galley

Local ride • getting from one airlock to the other • pass collector to guidance crosser

Quanta bud island

when the harvest comes due

quanta buds feeding on warm colors of setting stars • bulbs awaken to tonal variations in the lower cloud deck.

quanta buds dreaming of other atmospheres and gas mixtures • cool alterations that enhance telepathic song singing among bud bulbs.

Quanta bud island sky at star rise in the season of song

MawXu floaters lift lightly upward with a breath of gas and a magic mushroom in the maw • the chemistry of which ignites lights on the traveling wilbury bones crossing the b flats.

MawXu serenade each other floating listlessly for for long periods of time when the stars never set • until the meager appendages touch by chance and they become one.

MawXu drifting on a sea of forgotten tear drops in a moist violet haze glowing in the terminator of the axis bold as love.

Cyclon DaVinda

time and again

it is hot on Hoptek boz all of the time • it never cools down • the wind stings • everything is sandstone • it cuts you if not wearing storm gear • like those tough rambones on the surface knocking out the dilator • they found water • they mean to protect the discovery • any concealed watching devices are deactivated and stripped for parts.

reset order • a time dilator has become unseated and unsealed • gort units deploy to examine the site and initiate any follow up • this isn’t the first time.

curious lookers are concealed in the rock shadows • surveilling the unwanted visitors • having damaged the dilator • local ram bone primitives have other actions in mind • this was a diversion.

dawn at now and then

lost god head

field angel

the visitor

Milky Way star jam

incoming

t-tauri wind

raining planetissmals on the moon

Venus of the Yucatan

day the sun disappeared

mayan cosmos

chocmool hungry for hearts

rendezvous

the terrestrials

Astronomy Magazine

One for the Brethren

In late 1975, I walked in off the street into the office of Astronomy Magazine. the floors were wooden and creaked. the first thing i saw as i entered were large oil paintings of Jupiter • a huge asteroid • the future space telescope • painted by artist John Clark. i stood nervously in awe. a woman named Rosie sprang into action, asking if i had an appointment. i said no but i’m an artist. she asked what I wanted. before i could answer a head popped out of the corner office and said “what does this young man want ?” he says he’s an artist • Steve said, come on in and show me what you’ve got • i had airbrush art, pyramids, motherships, communicators, a brain network with jimi and ziggy. he looked at my slides with a loop and asked if i lived in town. at the end he put the loop down and tossed a manuscript across his desk and said “see what you can do with this. see you in a week” i walked out with “Whispers of the Big Bang” • he’s been whispering to me ever since.

a collection of astronomical art created during my time as staff artist at astronomy magazine.

march 1976 • may 1978

my first painting published by Astronomy magazine • march 1976

December 1976

may 1978

mini black hole passing by a stray asteroid • cover art february 1977

mini black hole disturbing the local dust and gas

matter anti matter galaxy

Milky Way as seen from the Large Magellenic Cloud • 1976

solar polar probe

arrival of another

readers of astronomy magazine hated this painting • and wrote in to say so • close encounters was in the air at the time • it was a story about extraterrestrials • what was I supposed to do • bacteria on rocks.

interstellar divide

this is the only painting of mine that has ever been stolen • I was participating in a group exhibition at the new christened 411 office building in milwaukee wisconsin • IBM was the premier tenant throwing the opening party • of which the exhibition was part • this painting hung near an elevator • someone witnessed an IBM executive remove the painting from the wall and get in a cab with it • I knew people who knew what to do • and they did it • i was paid a handsome sum at the time to keep it out of the newspaper • they wore blue suits when they came to give me the check. I never saw the painting again.