For centuries,
space has been a mystery and only within the last hundred years have humans
begun to explore the new frontier. Beginning in 1957 with the Soviet launch of
the satellite Sputnik, the race for space began. Back and forth, the Soviets
and the Americans battled for control of space with neither yielding until the
dissolution of the USSR. Since then humans have made it to the surface of the
moon and have turned their attention towards Mars and the commercialization of
space travel.
The space race
has spawned numerous pop cultural shows, such as Star Trek and the Jetsons,
that continue to impact society today. The Jetsons, first released in 1962,
depicted a futuristic world complete with flying cars and robot maids. This is
what people of that era envisioned for the future. Interestingly some speculate
that the show was set in the 21st century and as of 2015 neither
flying cars nor robot maids are readily accessible to the public. Although only
released originally for one season, the cartoon has become a significant point
of reference when speaking about the future.
Another
movement somewhat related to the space race was that of the Futurists in the 20th
century. Although not solely focused on space, futurists fully embraced the
idea of technology and the future. They too sought a world of flying cars and
life changing technology. They embraced any medium of art to express this and
influence of this movement can be seen in new age looking houses and accents on
cars. As the space age continues, it will be interesting to see the influence
it has on art and the style of homes, clothes, and machines.
"Futurism
Artists." An Introduction to Art History. Art in the Picture, n.d. Web. 20
May 2015.
"Futurism
Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May
2015.
"Journey
to Mars." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Novak, Matt.
"50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters." Smithsonian.
N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.
"What Is
the Jetsons?" History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
Hi Samantha,
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of a future do you envision? Do you think the space-influenced life of the Jetsons is what is in store for us in the future? Will our future be more influenced by space travel and technological development, or do you think our culture will be more influenced by art like futurists?
I thought your mention of the Futurists is interesting in that the technology today is rapidly progressing, with better and smaller computing technology as seen in cell phones and tablets. People often describe the latest phone as space age design and also, the progression towards electric cars is another step forward towards realizing the Futurist dreams.
ReplyDeleteHamilton Trinh