Long before humans wrote, we painted.
From mud and ash to acrylic and computers, artists across the centuries have found countless inventive ways to explore and express some of life’s biggest mysteries. Enter space art, a genre of artistic expression that strives to capture the wonders of our universe. This lavishly illustrated book chronicles the remarkable development of space art from a fledgling theme to a modern movement.
In Part I, we traverse the history of art and astronomy from ancient times, through the Industrial Revolution, and into the 20th-century Space Age. Part II delves into the diverse techniques and subgenres of space art, where you will learn about things like rocks and balls, hardware art, and cosmic expressionism. Along the way, we’ll stop at places where neither humans nor spacecraft can easily go, from the scorching surface of Venus and the radiation-soaked volcanoes of Io to the alien terrain of exoplanets and the depths of distant galaxies.
Featuring hundreds of original color images from space artists and astronomers alike, this book is a vivid visual story about the power of art, astronomy, and human curiosity. A heavily revised edition of the original Beauty of Space, it will entertain, educate, and inspire anybody who yearns to make sense of the strange and surreal sights in our universe.
Jon Ramer is President of The International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA). IAAA was founded in 1982 by a small group of artists. Since its founding, the IAAA has grown to number over 130 members, representing twenty countries. Their work has also grown, to incorporate a number of styles and viewpoints. The object of the IAAA as a non-profit foundation is to implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects, to promote education about astronomical art and to foster international cooperation in artistic work inspired by the exploration of the Universe. Ramer and the IAAA frequently are invited by AAS and other organizations to host artwork displays at local conferences and lead public awareness events on space art. Ramer was the editor of the first edition of Beauty in Space.
Ron Miller is an American illustrator and writer who lives and works in South Boston, Virginia. He now specializes in astronomical, astronautical and science fiction books for adults and young adults. He worked as a commercial artist and designer for six years, before taking a position as art director for the National Air and Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium. To date he has nearly sixty book titles to his credit, and his illustrations have appeared on hundreds of book jackets, book interiors and in magazines such as National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Scientific American, Smithsonian, Analog, Starlog, Air & Space, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Science et Vie, Newsweek, Natural History, Discover, GEO and others. Miller has been on the faculty of the International Space University. He is a contributing editor for Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine; a member of the International Academy of Astronautics; a member of the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society; a Life Member, Fellow and past Trustee of the International Association of Astronomical Artists; an Honorary Member of the Sociétè Jules Verne(Paris); a past member of the North American Jules Verne Society and a past Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society.
