NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration [Hardcover]

James D. Dean (Author), Bertram Ulrich (Author), Tom Crouch (Introduction), Michael Collins (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

Artists, like astronauts, are constantly probing into the unknown. It is fitting that, shortly after the establishment of NASA in 1958, the NASA Art Program was created on the principle that artists are uniquely equipped to interpret and document the experience of space exploration. In the program’s early years, artists as diverse as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and James Wyeth participated. Over time, the Art Program has commissioned work from many of the world’s most distinguished artists. The collection includes works by Alexander Calder, Nam June Paik, William Wegman, Mike and Doug Starn, Vija Celmins, and Annie Leibovitz.

 

Along with a two-year touring exhibition with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), NASA/Art celebrates the 50th anniversary of NASA in October 2008 with an expanded selection of the best work created for the NASA Art Program, and stands as a lasting record of the impact of space exploration on the artistic imagination.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Dean was the founder of the NASA Art Program and its director from 1962 to 1974. Bertram Ulrich is Curator and Multimedia Manager at NASA and co-author of Abrams’ America in Space: NASA’s First Fifty Years. Thomas Crouch is Senior Curator of Aeronautics at the National Air and Space Museum. Michael Collins was Command Module Pilot on Apollo 11 and the director of the National Air and Space Museum. Ray Bradbury is the author of more than 500 novels, short stories, plays, and volumes of verse.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Abrams; First Printing edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810972875
• ISBN-13: 978-0810972872
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #972,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat dissapointing, October 13, 2009

By 

Tod R. Lauer (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration (Hardcover)

It is always a delight to see examples from the NASA fine arts collection, however, this book offers little more than earlier works drawing from the same well. The classic NASA art collection is "Eyewitness to Space," which covers the first part of the NASA fine arts program up to Apollo 11. It features large and well prepared versions of the works. It is sadly long out of print, but can be found with used book services for those seriously interested in the topic. A much more recent book, "NASA & the Exploration of Space," is readily available and is extremely rich with art, showing works that not only cover NASA's program up to the late 90's, but also several works from the Apollo era not present in "Eyewitness." Almost all the works shown in "NASA/Art" can be found in either of these two volumes, and in larger format. This book isn't a bad start for those not familiar with the NASA art program, but you would be just as well to start off with "NASA & the Exploration of Space."

5.0 out of 5 stars NASA Art 50 Years of Exploration, June 6, 2011

By 

Cal "Calvin" (Midlothian, VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration (Hardcover)

I visited a NASA Art Exhibit in Huntsville, AL in 2009. I planned to use pictures from this exhibit for a presentation to my Astronomy club, Richmond Astronomical Society. I used this book to complete my presentation as it provided insights on the NASA art program. I love this book. As a baby boomer it brought back many memories of living the space race. It shows the excitement, anxiety, triumphs and heart break of the history of NASA through the crafts of art. If you are a baby boomer with a love of the space program this book is a great trip down memory lane. For a special effect, listen to Gustav Holst's Planets while reading and viewing this book.