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Like many boys, Los Angeles artist Victor Raphael had dreams of becoming
an astronaut, and those dreams inspired his art.
Some artists create scientifically accurate paintings that could be photographs.
Raphael's work is different—it doesn't show you things exactly as
they appear.
What do you think of when you look at Spacefield II? Maybe it's
like being in a rocket ship rushing through a cloud of asteroids? Perhaps
racing toward a cluster of galaxies seen at a great distance? Zipping
through the rings of Saturn?
For his Spacefield series, Raphael starts with NASA photographs such
as Hubble Space Telescope pictures and other astronomical images. He re-photographs
or scans them and then adds touches of gold leaf or other materials to
the new images. Notes the artist: "It is important to recognize that these
[NASA photographs] are new images, new imagery unique to our time. The
reality is that we are only a small part of the universe, which is a humbling
thought. It's good for us to maintain that humble perspective."
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