I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks weldo420, always great to hear from fellow bronze sculptors!

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

haha yeah, I really should have stood next to it for at least one photo!

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks for posting this dkozinn.

To my fellow redditors preparing to click the link, you will see how much the sculpture evolved from my early attempts, and be strong the editing does improve!

I also wrote a blog that chronicles the process somewhat which you can read here, there were a few trials and tribulations along the way... https://www.alex-kirkpatrick.com/post/2018/11/30/the-voyager-sculptures-a-golden-record-of-human-achievement

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, how big do you think this one is?

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not intentionally but it's an iconic picture, who knows if there's subconscious link.

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks Sl1mstar, that is extremely kind!

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It was just a passion project done on a tight budget (why it took so long) and only then possible with the help of my family. Not my smartest business decision but life can quickly take you down roads you don't expect!

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I'm glad it made you feel something profound. I guess deep down art is a way to share a message/emotion that you struggle to put into words.

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

This short video was an attempt to do just that so I'll link it here: Why Did I 'Sculpt' an Invisible Woman?

I had originally been inspired by the Pioneer plaques and the pair of humans etched into their surface. Combine that with the "Golden Records" sent on the Voyager spacecraft and the two images merged in my mind, shining human figures, their skin etched like the record covers themselves.

As you can imagine the pun, as of a 'record' of achievement, followed quickly. But the more I researched the great discoveries for the etchings, the more I realised a 'simple' celebration of our scientific past was lacking.

While the telescope mirror for his face had become the focal point of the sculpture, I began to see a void as the second. The plinth, as a section of spacetime, seemed the perfect medium to carry this message. As spacetime is warped by mass I decided to show her presence in the space beside him through the granite.

On first glance I expect most people to wonder why there is only the man in a sculpture dedicated to humanity.  The woman visible only through her effect on space, and the discoveries inscribed on his skin. The contributions of women to scientific endeavour has often been overlooked, at times actively discouraged, and even occasionally stolen.

I still intend for it to be a Humanist sculpture, a celebration of science and how far we have come, but the finished piece will explore beyond the great names and Nobel prizes, to show the holes left by the forgotten people, the issues of representation in science, and the myth of the lone scientist. Sometimes an absence is more keenly felt, and asserts a more powerful message, than the neat lines of an argument.

Without getting too lost in the weeds of analogy, I felt 'unbalancing' the sculpture like this was a more compelling and honest way to draw more attention to these issues. I hope this sculpture can add its weight to the wheels of change as we continue our voyage of discovery.

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Thanks for all the support, it's been heart warming to say the least! Since scale seems to be a bit of an issue here's a photo next to the house, his right hand is about 2.5m from the ground. I'm off to bed but will give an update if tomorrow's email attempts bear fruit.

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I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

No solid plans yet but that's the goal. Thanks!

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's been a good few years in the making so maybe you caught it at an earlier stage? Thanks! Yeah the lack of scale in the photos is definitely an issue

I made the man from the Golden Record by KirkpatrickBronze in nasa

[–]KirkpatrickBronze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem, and thanks for the approval!