Havy Tran DESMA 9 Week 9 Blog

 Space and Art

I have always been fascinated by space. As I grew up and began learning more about the different aspects of space, I wanted to experience some of the beauty of it myself. I especially enjoyed looking at the stars at night in the middle of nowhere without a single dot of artificial light in sight and also searching for constellations. This weeks topic on space and art particularly stands out to me as I had done research on the first space walk in the past.



The first spacewalk was conducted by Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov, a Soviet and Russian who was talented in many aspects. Voskhod 2 was a space mission launched by the Soviets in 1965 with commander Pavel Belyayev and pilot Leonov. Leonov left the spacecraft on the first day of the launch on March 18, 1965 and began performing the first space walk that lasted around ten to twelve minutes. 

Alexei Leonov, first human to walk in space, dies aged 85 | Space | The Guardian

Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov

Not only did Leonov perform the first space walk, but he also sketched the first art piece created in space. Although the sketch was on the smaller side, the piece was drawn as he was hurtling down back to Earth on the, also small, spacecraft. In fact, this piece was so significant, that it is hung up in the Science Museum in London. Leonov was also awarded a Hero of the Soviet Union distinction award after successfully being the first man to walk in space in 1965.



The First Art Piece Created in Space

Continually, Leonov created art based off of his next experiences out in space including portraits of his colleagues and different views of the Earth. The Science Museum also features his 1973 oil painting, Over the Black Sea, a self-portrait depicting his space walk in 1965. Space has also been a topic that I have been eager to learn more about and when it is combined with my favorite activity, art, it makes it easier for me to learn. It is so interesting that you can create art while in space and honestly sounds like a dream to me. If only I could sit in a spacecraft in space, drawing views of the space around me with some of my good pals.


Leonov's Over the Black Sea 1973 oil painting


Image sources:

Choi, Charles Q., and Ailsa Harvey. “Stars: Facts about Stellar Formation, History and Classification.” Space.Com, 21 Apr. 2022, www.space.com/57-stars-formation-classification-and-constellations.html. 

“First Picture Drawn in Space to Appear in Cosmonauts Show in London.” The Guardian, 31 Aug. 2015, www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/31/first-picture-space-cosmonauts-science-museum-alexei-leonov. 

Meier, Allison. “The First Artwork Made in Outer Space.” Hyperallergic, 14 Oct. 2015, hyperallergic.com/243334/the-first-artwork-made-in-outer-space/. 

Sources:

“Alexei A. Leonov.” New Mexico Museum of Space History, 3 Mar. 2023, www.nmspacemuseum.org/inductee/alexei-a-leonov/. 

“Alexei Leonov Obituary.” The Times & The Sunday Times: Breaking News & Today’s Latest Headlines, 19 Oct. 2019, www.thetimes.co.uk/article/alexei-leonov-obituary-g9tt2v8fr. 

“Alexei Leonov, First Human to Walk in Space, Dies Aged 85.” The Guardian, 11 Oct. 2019, www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/11/alexei-leonov-space-walk-human-death-cosmonaut-russia. 

“Alexei Leonov: The Artistic Spaceman.” ESA, www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_history/Alexei_Leonov_The_artistic_spaceman. Accessed 2 June 2023. 

“Sunrise at the Space, 1970s. from a Private Collection.” Flashbak, flashbak.com/drowning-in-space-the-first-man-to-walk-and-draw-in-the-surrounding-abyss-1965-40806/sunrise-at-the-space-1970s-from-a-private-collection/. Accessed 2 June 2023. 

YouTube, 16 Nov. 2021, https://youtu.be/xKfvkE3Xf6M. Accessed 2 June 2023. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Havy Tran DESMA 9 - Week 1 Blog #1

Image
     In C.P. Snow's Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution , Snow establishes ideas of there being two cultures that are divided into literary intellectuals (the arts) or physical/natural scientists (science).  Continually, Snow argues that experts in both areas of science and the arts should build bridges in order to advance human knowledge to provide advantages to society. In daily life, we tend to veer towards people who most similar to us, whether this is based on our age group, our values and morals, or even what we study in school. At UCLA, we can see this division through our majors. On campus, your declared major either resides in the north or south part of campus. As a result of this grouping, students tend to create more connections with others who are also in the same respective departments. map of UCLA North and South campus. https://maps-los-angeles.com/maps-los-angeles-others/ucla-map     Personally, my major at UCLA is psychology. The prerequisites for pre-psycho
Read more

Havy Tran - DESMA 9 Week 2 Blog #2

Image
I have always known that mathematics and art have a possibility of intersecting. The way I see it, there is math in art and art in math, and I am sure that everyone too can see that as well. I have always understood that there is math present in art which is why my perspective does not change. In previous art history classes that I have taken in the past, there exists the principle of the golden ratio. According to the Interaction Design Foundation, the golden ratio has "a history dating back almost to the time of Pi," and have even been called the "golden mean" and the "divine section" by scholars like Pythagoras and Euclid.  What is the golden ratio, however? According to Interaction Design Foundation, architecture is more satisfying to the eye when the structure and designs are proportionate according to the golden ratio, which is 1:1.618. Examples of the art pieces and structures are revealed in The Parthenon ( c. 447 BC), Leonardo da Vinci's Annun
Read more

Havy Tran - DESMA 9 Week 3 Blog #3

Image
Blog #3 - Robotics + Arts Technological advances continue to be made every single day whether we see it or not. Beginning from the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s to today and the days that come after, "humans are utilizing machines for the purpose of mass manufacturing," and so much more. ( Ars Electronica) Today however, art is a critical asset in building emotional structure in order for us to proceed into future technological advancements.  According to Walter Benjamin, even perfect reproduction of works of art lack its unique existence at the proper time and place. However, technology has changed drastically since then, and new technology has its righteous existence and benefits. Robots play a large role in the elevation of technology. Today, we can see robots doing simple yet beneficial tasks almost everywhere. For example, if we take a look at the Opportunity Mars Rover, a rover that explored Mars for over fourteen years before it fell silent after a global dust sto
Read more