uiabstract_v_c_o_AKP (ca. 1961-63, unnumbered prob. NASA/ctr photo)
Bizarre and a little disturbing, I really don't know what's going on here...surely subliminal & maybe even apocalyptic...idk.
Where to start? Plenty to choose from:
Obviously, the age-old Man-Monkey-Machine Interface conundrum. 😉 Why is the monkey/chimp - in a space suit btw - centrally featured, and NOT the human astronaut? The structures along the steep slope going up to the right look like the test stands at the Santa Susana Test Facility/Laboratory. If so, what's the connection? And, is that the moon? Or an alien world? Whichever it is, if either, why is there a dark swath across/splitting it? Is it a tortured planetary system, with the angry looking sun/star about to go nova? And take a closer look at the eyes of the monkey/chimp...kinda creepy, alien-looking, even a little demonic...or just stern & determined, maybe even mildly constipated? Is it a simian-alien-human hybrid? And how about those ears...maybe a Vulcan monkey? Pre-dating the original television series would seem to preclude that. The trajectory path/vector thing is going all over the place too. Why? That is, if that's what it depicts. It does however graze right by/over the "planet", simian & astronaut - some sort of symbolism there? I'm even looking for images in the chaotic color-splashed areas. And there is/are something(s) unidentified in front of/to the left of the astronaut's right shin/knee...hmmm. There’s also something going on in the upper left-hand corner. And what the hell is that thing at the 10:00 position from the sun/star??? It looks like it might be a face, with eyes, nose & mouth discernible. And the astronaut, for the most part, is merely an outline...minimally ‘filled in’. What's up with that?
His pressure suit appears to be a Mercury Program variant, so I'm guessing this is ca. 1961-63? If so, this work is exceedingly avant-garde & provocative for the time period.
or:
An abstract & coded warning, even prophecy, of what the future portends...if we don't change our wicked wicked ways. Unfortunately, although very few know, the Santa Susana site suffered a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959:
www.nrdc.org/bio/caroline-reiser/questions-and-answers-ab...
Credit: NRDC website
However, this being a vintage print, i.e., early 1960’s, the severity of the incident & radiation leak/release was still being hidden, I therefore wouldn’t expect it to have been artistically alluded to. Then again, it’s freaky enough that maybe…???
Per usual, the NASA/NASA-contracted artist/illustrator is anonymous & will likely remain so forever...unfortunate.
uiabstract_v_c_o_AKP (ca. 1961-63, unnumbered prob. NASA/ctr photo)
Bizarre and a little disturbing, I really don't know what's going on here...surely subliminal & maybe even apocalyptic...idk.
Where to start? Plenty to choose from:
Obviously, the age-old Man-Monkey-Machine Interface conundrum. 😉 Why is the monkey/chimp - in a space suit btw - centrally featured, and NOT the human astronaut? The structures along the steep slope going up to the right look like the test stands at the Santa Susana Test Facility/Laboratory. If so, what's the connection? And, is that the moon? Or an alien world? Whichever it is, if either, why is there a dark swath across/splitting it? Is it a tortured planetary system, with the angry looking sun/star about to go nova? And take a closer look at the eyes of the monkey/chimp...kinda creepy, alien-looking, even a little demonic...or just stern & determined, maybe even mildly constipated? Is it a simian-alien-human hybrid? And how about those ears...maybe a Vulcan monkey? Pre-dating the original television series would seem to preclude that. The trajectory path/vector thing is going all over the place too. Why? That is, if that's what it depicts. It does however graze right by/over the "planet", simian & astronaut - some sort of symbolism there? I'm even looking for images in the chaotic color-splashed areas. And there is/are something(s) unidentified in front of/to the left of the astronaut's right shin/knee...hmmm. There’s also something going on in the upper left-hand corner. And what the hell is that thing at the 10:00 position from the sun/star??? It looks like it might be a face, with eyes, nose & mouth discernible. And the astronaut, for the most part, is merely an outline...minimally ‘filled in’. What's up with that?
His pressure suit appears to be a Mercury Program variant, so I'm guessing this is ca. 1961-63? If so, this work is exceedingly avant-garde & provocative for the time period.
or:
An abstract & coded warning, even prophecy, of what the future portends...if we don't change our wicked wicked ways. Unfortunately, although very few know, the Santa Susana site suffered a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959:
www.nrdc.org/bio/caroline-reiser/questions-and-answers-ab...
Credit: NRDC website
However, this being a vintage print, i.e., early 1960’s, the severity of the incident & radiation leak/release was still being hidden, I therefore wouldn’t expect it to have been artistically alluded to. Then again, it’s freaky enough that maybe…???
Per usual, the NASA/NASA-contracted artist/illustrator is anonymous & will likely remain so forever...unfortunate.