Before the days of cheap photography (around the early 1900's) it was standard practice for any expedition to have an illustrator. These artists created visual representations of the expedition simply because we humans cannot convey everything in words: we find pictures very useful as well. Today, photography has overtaken much of the visual element of expedition reports. It does provide cheap, fast and completely objective images. However, they are just that: sterile and objective. One of the many reasons people create art by hand is to bring to a scene their own impressions, emotions and senses. For example, a portrait is more than a simple likeness of a person laid down in ink or paint: it is a reading of that person by the artist, and a record of their impressions in the portrait itself. I feel that many modern expeditions could benefit from this sort of personal touch, to bring a human element to the often forbidding world of expedition imagery.

What sorts of visual artistry can we imagine will come from the explorers of Mars? In this assignment we focus on visual art created by the human hand, rather than by the camera.

Assignment:

Part I. Create an image (or images) depiciting humans on Mars; they may be early explorers, later colonists, or -- in the distant future -- 'Old Timers' who choose to stay there rather than move on to yet more distant planets. In carrying out the assignment, consider the special problems of visual artistry on Mars: the availability of media, the lighting and atmospheric conditions, and so on. Try to make your artwork distinctive from that of Earth.

Part II: Write a short explanation of your imagery: why did you choose the subject matter, media and styles you chose? Add anything you would like to say to help explain your image(s).

The following information will help you make some basic decisions about the visual art you will create. Don't worry if you tink (or have been told) that you 'can't draw'. Practice is all that is needed, and there are no rules here anyway. Negative critiqe can be ignored. Exercise your imagination.

Media

On an expedition, of course, you generally have to limit the amount and weight of materials you bring along; certainly this is the case in space exploration. For this assignment, you may want to consider the sorts of media which might be available to artists on Mars. Can you imagine them bringing entire sets of oil paints, for example? Or will it be better to grind their own pigments from rocks and minerals on Mars? If they do, what sorts of colors might dominate their artistry? What other materals may be converted from waste to pigment on Mars? What new visual art media could you imagine being developed on Mars?

Subject Matter

Visual artists create all sorts of imagery, ranging from dry illustrations of activities during an expedition to portraits of expedition members and awe-inspiring scenes of natural phenomena; on Mars, these could include . These are all subject matter. For your assignment, consider the following;

Landscapes. These are natural scenes of land, typically uninterrupted by human artifacts, but there is no rule about that. On the lonely planet Mars, people may be drawn to including their surface habitats or people in their landscapes to make them feel more comfortable. When considering Martian landscapes, think of the differences and similarities between Mars and Earth.

People. A human removed from social contact for too long starts to go crazy. We are very much social beings; the evolution of language is good evidence of that. So, we spend a lot of time thinking about other people, and we are more comfortable knowing a person's face than thinking about an abstract human being. That's pretty clear when you imagine trying to talk to someone wearing dark sunglasses, or a mask; you'd be uncomfortable because you can't read everything that is communicated in a face. Explorers of Mars will be interested in other people in just the same way. You may consider how the rigors of exploration might effect people; perhaps before and after images of yourself, or some imaginary Mars explorer, would be interesting. At some time, people will be born or Mars, and spend their entire life there. What sort of people will they be? Can you imagine how they might appear? Or, you may focus on the body as a whole; what changes in human physiology can we expect after some thousands of years on Mars?

Scenes. These are a sort of moment in time; a depiction of something happening. A person climbing a mountain, or carrying out a ceremony, a vehicle arriving at a destination after a long journey, or just beginning that journey...the possibilities are many. Just consider how that activity is going to differ on Mars from on Earth...the differences may be dramatic, tragic or humorous. You'll need to get a basic understanding of the conditions on Mars for this one, so have a look at other links on these pages.

Life Forms. If life does, or did, exist on Mars, we are likely to find it when we put human explorers on the ground there. Already, scientists are studying Astrobiology: the study of life throughout the universe. Applying the principles of evolution, can you make any educated guesses as to what life forms (e.g. plant and/or animal) might look like on Mars? Perhaps we will find only fossils...or perhaps we will find large, multi-cellular organisms. Again, using evolution as your guide, imagine the textures, coloration, behavior and so on of these species...Illustrating these imaginary life forms could be a great mental exercise.