Jamie Martel

The above image is known as “the pale blue dot”. Taken in 1992, the dot the title alludes to is actually the earth, viewed from over 6 billion kilometers away by the space probe voyager 1. This image, and the feelings of wonder and perspective that come with it, perfectly embody my project. For studio practice 6, I am making an atlas documenting human exploration of space. However, I am not looking at making it scientific. Instead I am focusing on the childlike sense of wonder and curiosity that comes with exploration, and the nostalgia that I associate with astronomy. The book is inspired by a nostalgia for the 1950’s and 60’s when interest in exploring space was high, and captured the public’s imagination.

My project is also a hark back to the encyclopaedias of my childhood, and the atlas’ made long before I was born, since exploring space is the simply next step from exploring the antarctica or the worlds oceans. The physical properties of these objects has a real magic to them, and invokes a yearning to learn and discover, and with my project, I am trying to gift this feeling back to a digital generation. I am also interested the cultural and historical value of the objects we used for these missions, many of which have been left derelict, millions of miles from home, where they are destined to remain, potentially for millions of years after our species goes extinct. I want to celebrate them for what they represent, mankinds yearning for exploration, and as scientific and technical achievements that have had a large impact on the world around us today.