Lunar and Martian Landscapes
intaglio prints
10 x 8 in / 8 x 10 in
editions of 5
2014
Lunar and Martian Landscapes features etchings of extraterrestrial landscapes almost completely void of human trace. The works are rendered in a style that mimics that of the prints from the Powell Survey (1869 and 1871), some of the first widely distributed imagery of the American West, which was then popularly labeled as 'Terra Incognita' and 'The Great American Desert.' The source imagery originated from the NASA image archive, and irregular cropping was preserved in order to highlight how the way in which we access uncharted territory has greatly changed, yet the landscapes themselves appear to remain timeless.
This series is part of a larger body of work titled Go West and Conquer All Above You, which addresses the romanticism surrounding exploration. It specifically considers the efforts of contemporary space programs in relation to the mindset and attitude of American pioneers of the Westward Expansion. The work was made with the hope of illuminating how an overzealous romance towards wilderness can ultimately lead to the negation of the wildness that was initially attractive. The work was made with the intention of cultivating a future that more thoughtfully heeds lessons from the past.
Made in collaboration with Lee Cody.