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The Cosmic Stones Project as an Artistic Catalyst of the Space Age
In addition to language or speech, art has been a fundamental way of communicating humankind's understanding of the universe. In the book The Meaning of Art, British art historian Herbert Read discusses the evolution of our understanding and appreciation of art. "Art," Read says, "is the expression of any ideal that the artist can realize in plastic form" [1]. And while the "expressive" aspects of art are subjective and temporal, aesthetic values vary from person to person, culture to culture and among different periods of civilization. Form, though intuitive in origin, is more universal and can be analyzed in intellectual terms, such as measure, balance, rhythm and harmony. In a good work of art, all of its elements are interrelated for a coherent unity - content and form fused into its overall message or meaning. Such images, exploiting the expressive qualities of form, go beyond mere representation of fact and can communicate a wide range of subtle and powerful feelings.
The Cosmic Stones function in this art context in a number of ways. In the space environment a "stone" is for all practical purposes basically useless. On the one hand, the cosmos if already full of stones and on the other, in our high-tech perceptions of space exploration sending an obviously non-technically inspired object such as a "stone" would be considered by most to be a absurd thing to do. This is especially so due to the fact that the high cost of space development is directly proportional to the cost of lifting mass from Earth into orbit. Thus, sending objects that are both useless and heavy would also appear to be a " reducto ad absurdem " type of art or space activity.
However, this is exactly where art intervenes into humanity's extraterrestrial imperative. Simply stated, if Cosmic Stones are sent into space it will be made possible by those who do not want to see a new Stone Age on Earth. Thus the Cosmic Stones become symbolic vehicles of meaning that embody the future of our species and the choices it will make about it future.
The question whether our future will be a "Space Age" or a "Stone Age" is perhaps the most important question ever faced by our species until now. The answer to this question can be called the "Cosmic Choice" which conceivably is a choice that all potential spacefaring civilizations throughout the universe must confront at the appropriate moment in their particular history.
Much has been researched and written about the probable fate of our species and the potential positive impact that space activities will have on society. The Cosmic Stones art project is a way to transcend language and speech about this important issue by broadening the discussion on an aesthetic, symbolic and emotional level.
References
- Herbert Read, The Meaning of Art (London: Faber & Faber, 1931, 1974).
What are Cosmic Stones?
Origins of the Cosmic Stones in my Art
The Cosmic Stones as Art Objects
The Suitability of the Cosmic Stones in the Space Environment
Our Future: Will it be a "Space Age" or a "Stone Age"?
The Cosmic Stones Project as an Art Catalyst of the Space Age
Project Development and Implementation
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