Astronomical Art Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In this chapter I present the way 20th century outer space visualizations generate an agreeable terror in the audience. As proposed by Edmund Burke, whatever is terrifying is also sublime, thus many space artists strived to evoke fear and awe through depicting aesthetically pleasing, yet horrifying visions. The study, conducted on the basis of a visual content analysis, examines a representative selection of over one hundred and fifty space art works, pervading a variety of media, including popular science and general interest magazines, art books, science fiction novels or the film industry. It is grounded in the theory of terror which allows me to investigate its various manifestations, defined as a sense of anticipation and dread which precedes the horrifying experience. As suggested by Stephen King in his non-fiction Danse Macabre, terror remains the finest emotion, distinct from that of horror and revulsion, and at the same the hardest to induce both in the reader and the viewer. My research has revealed that, akin to American landscape movement of the 1800s, most visuals utilize the category of gigantism to intimidate the audience as well as to arouse piety and wonder. On the other hand, some artists, mostly the Russian illustrators, convey horror by portraying the grandeur and beauty of the universe by the use of romantic images, symbolism and surrealism. Also, I will argue that visualizing unexplored, vast and to a large extent empty cosmic landscapes surrounded by endless, infinite spaces is crucial in creating such an impression in the audience. Aesthetic qualities of untamed and otherworldly nature veiled in darkness reinforce the effect of the sublime, emphasizing a sense of mystery, drama and excitement.