Outer limits….which way to go.

I am that crazy person that thinks about making something way ahead of time. I like to take my time thinking about what to do and how to do it long before I start. I have a feeling that it fits with my background in math and physics. 

“Cold Dark Orb.” 2024 recycle piece. 18 by 18. Made from recycled jeans and used dryer sheets.

I turned in my 2024 recycle piece for the show that opens on April 4 and am already thinking about next years theme which is Outer Limits. With my astronomy background my first thought is to go with a distant galaxy. In my mind I thought about a spiral galaxy with the silhouette of a telescope. I used AI to create an image.

I am familiar with creating images of distant things in the universe. I’ve created several paintings of gas clouds that are in our galaxy. I’ve done the Trifid nebula, Horsehead nebula, Eagle nebula. I’ve given a lot of them away. The one I still have is the first one I did of the Trifid nebula. My daughter has it.

So an astronomy theme would be right up my alley. I’ve also thought about buildings and constellations as a way to approach the theme. AI did a so so job with this. I would have to pick constellations and incorporate them into the image rather than random star arrangements.

My other thought for the theme is to create a picture of how plastic pollution is part of the problem that is putting the environment on the outer limits in terms of its health. I created this image with AI. I added plastics and tires that people dispose of and you see littered everywhere. Of course AI adds too many tires!

So to go for something beautiful like a galaxy or doom  and gloom like plastic pollution. That’s the question. Either way I will be using plastic to create the piece. I won’t even start this piece until next January so I have a long time to debate it. Or maybe there’s a third idea to throw into the mix!

Thanks for reading.

Chris