Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea

August 18, 2012 12:30 PM

Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea. Desolation and the Sublime on a Distant Planet. Mars-inspired artwork, commisioned by NASA, by Kahn & Selesnick (previously). [Via]
posted by homunculus (11 comments total)

I'd love to have that first one as my desktop background. Any chance there's a high-resolution version available? No? Sigh.
posted by Scientist at 1:13 PM on August 18, 2012

From the photo, I had a sudden fantasy of being a slightly deranged billionaire who funded a Martian lander project whose only purpose was to carve and polish the red rocks into enormous half spheres, and then stand them on end, thus creating the first works of sculpture on another world.

This is a beautiful piece.
posted by honestcoyote at 1:58 PM on August 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

the paintings remind me of Odd Nedrum.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:59 PM on August 18, 2012

An Update And Commentary On Odd Nerdrum's Harsh Prison Sentence
posted by homunculus at 3:07 PM on August 18, 2012

Pointless flash interface. Ooh! Look at me! Hover your mouse over the pictures to make them look a tiny bit larger and brighter!
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:38 PM on August 18, 2012

Pointless flash interface. Ooh! Look at me! Hover your mouse over the pictures to make them look a tiny bit larger and brighter!


It's the first law of art websites:
The better the art the shitter the user interface.
posted by mattoxic at 3:53 PM on August 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

The via Wired link may be the best way to look at some of these, actually.
posted by homunculus at 5:11 PM on August 18, 2012

Very Moebius.
posted by delmoi at 7:14 PM on August 18, 2012

One day these will be made in situ with a camera. Ponder on that.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:49 PM on August 18, 2012

I'ms guessing those full-body suits the Martians are wearing are inspired by the thermskins the future-Earthers wear in Dan Simmons Ilium.
posted by Twang at 11:02 PM on August 18, 2012

Getting Lost in a Fictional Nightmare
posted by homunculus at 4:10 PM on August 28, 2012