The human and the heavens - MA degree

•

THE HUMAN AND THE HEAVENS
Illustrated calendar and illuminated graphics

✷

If one looks up to the sky today, one cannot see Andromeda or Ursa Minor, rather just a collection of dots.

Nowadays the night sky does not have the same meaning for us as it used to have for people who lived two thousand or even, three hundred years ago. The goal of my work is to invoke this connection between the humans and the universe.

My MA degree work consists of illustrations of twelve star constellations, as well as an illustrated calendar.

As a graphic designer my aim was to depict those constellations which do not have as many representations as the zodiac signs. The twelve constellations have different origins. There are animal-like creatures of ancient Greek mythology, human-like creatures of ancient Greek mythology, animal figures of the 17th century, and inventions of the 18th century.

The Greeks believed that every constellation in the sky has supernatural origin. However, in the 18th century the heavens became an ordinary part of the anthropocentric nature. Nowadays, the effects of light pollution can hardly be overestimated. By using luminescent ink my aim is to show some stars which are now invisible due to light pollution.
My question is a what-if question: what if there had been no light pollution, and we could have seen all stars that our ancestors could see?

My goal was to make this work decorative and emblematic. Delicate transitions of colour tones and transparent forms are intended to give a kind of transcendent and ethereal touch. This form of expression refers to the possible reality: the shape does exist and does not exist at the same time. Illuminated illustrations in frames added a unique touch to the exhibition.