Earth Card

We live in a time when the truth of "One World" is more and more apparent. Only in our generation have human beings seen the earth from space, giving us another clue to the true nature of our planet. Every astronaut relates the same experience upon seeing the earth from space - a realisation that this fragile, blue globe is unique in the universe, that it is without borders and that it contains everything we love. Somehow the isolation of space leaves an unforgettable impression that our earth is 'Whole'. In this portrait of the earth I tried to capture the personality of the earth, its' power and individuality. The astronaut painting an abstract painting is a comment on the role of technology in our ever-expanding view of the world as well as a comment on abstract art. It occurred to me that the first painting done in space will fetch a hefty price no matter what it looks like. The astronaut also represents my own personal relationship with technology and art. I have spent over 20 years of travelling around this beautiful world and I finally was able to sit down and paint some of my thoughts and impressions during a 52-day isolation study conducted by NASA. It seems to me that both technology and art give us opportunities to understand our world but it is up to us to use them. The French poem painted in the stars is "L'Invitation au Voyage" by Voltaire. It basically says that the world is our oyster to explore - 'luxe, calme et volupte'. Weather we explore this world from space, through travelling, relationships, or while sitting in an isolation room we can reach the same conclusion: every part of this world is part of the Whole, One World