Comments on: Art goes to Mars.

Art goes to Mars.

condour75 — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 00:30:48 -0800

Art goes to Mars. This may be the very first art that our species sends into space, unless you count the little naked folks on the Voyager plaque, or broadcast television. In a somewhat bold move, they've chosen shock artist putter-of-sharks-in-formaldehyde Damien Hirst. Is it me, or would the chosen painting be much dorkier if this were NASA rather than the European Space Agency? Like a duck or something.

By: rory

rory — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 03:49:53 -0800

What did the first Martian microbe say to the second? "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like." "My 3,000-year-old could have done that." "Thank grzod they didn't send Tracey Emin's bed."

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 04:49:52 -0800

This may be the very first art that our species sends into space, unless you count the little naked folks on the Voyager plaque, or broadcast television. Charles M. Schultz's characters beat the Hirst portrait by 33 years, when the Apollo X call signs for its orbital vehicles were taken from Peanuts. The crews who piloted the craft carried illustrations featuring the likenesses of the strip's two lead characters, which were used during the flight as visual aids for the press. As an hommage to the success of Apollo X, the Silver Snoopy Award is an accolade which NASA awards its astronauts.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 04:56:02 -0800

I also forgot to mention the Apollo 8 mission that started NASA's Peanuts obsession a year earlier; a Snoopy doll accompanied the astronauts during the flight.

By: adamgreenfield

adamgreenfield — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 05:52:54 -0800

would the chosen painting be much dorkier if this were NASA? Robert Kincaid in silver Mylar.

By: kozad

kozad — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 08:12:26 -0800

No, it's not just you, and the above references to Snoopy in Space prove it. Have you ever seen the work of Komar and Melamid? Hirst's work here is half science (checking the cameras) and half art, but I guess that's the point.

By: Wood

Wood — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 09:00:19 -0800

I think this is over-rated. The particular "piece" of Hirst's that they're sending happens to look exactly like the standard registration pattern we have in our graphics lab. Yeah, so instead of sending a reg pattern, they're sending some "art". Yippee. If they're tiny, they'll be able to play twister.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 09:15:40 -0800

I don't think the martians will recognize it as art either--it'll either look like a part of the lander that belongs there, or like we left a discarded part behind....And if it's useful, and created to be so, doesn't that kill the whole "high art" part of it? If it was created specifically to be dropped or propped on the surface of Mars to be seen then it would be a different story.

By: mishaco

mishaco — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 10:20:24 -0800

ya , this piece of art is over rated . but so is damien hirst . at least theres a new blur song to go along with it . and its ( somewhat ) useful .

By: Zoyd Wheeler

Zoyd Wheeler — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 12:26:57 -0800

RE: the first little naked people sent up in space w/ the Voyager plaque. Either the man or woman has arm extended as if in greeting. The question Laurie Anderson brought up - how will the Aliens know if they're saying hello or goodbye? Or perhaps none of the above. An extended arm with open-palmed hand could mean f*ck you and die in other corners of the universe...

By: LimePi

LimePi — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 15:09:22 -0800

The history of art in space includes a tile left on the moon by the Apollo 12 mission, with drawings by Warhol, Rauschenberg, and a few other big names of the times. Hirst isn't the first, only the most recent.

By: mark13

mark13 — Sat, 30 Nov 2002 15:49:53 -0800

I just wish they'd have picked an artist with actual talent rather than a tired publicity whore like Hirst.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Mon, 02 Dec 2002 11:19:50 -0800

One more on Voyager - I don't recall what else was on there, but Glenn Gould was also on board, playing (I think) the Goldberg Variations. How the Martians et al. are gonna figure out how to play the music is a whole 'nother question.