Mark Heine含羞草研究社檚 paintings evoke humans含羞草研究社� connection to the Earth and have travelled all over the globe.
There lies the irony in two of his paintings, which capture humanity含羞草研究社檚 dependence on the life-giving oceans and will be leaving the planet later this year, to live forever on Lacus Mortis, the moon含羞草研究社檚 Lake of Death.
Super compressed digital copies of the Victoria artist含羞草研究社檚 paintings, Imminent and Duress, will be included in The Lunar Codex, a collection of creative works from 3,000 artists worldwide that will be sent to the moon aboard the Peregrine Lander in December.
His two moon-bound paintings are from a series called Sirens that he含羞草研究社檚 been working on since 2014.
含羞草研究社淭he fact that this whole series of work is about trying to take care of the planet we含羞草研究社檙e on now 含羞草研究社� and then it含羞草研究社檚 going to be off on the moon 含羞草研究社� is kind of a strange contrast,含羞草研究社� Heine said.
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含羞草研究社淥ur hope is that future travelers who find these time capsules will discover some of the richness of our world today,含羞草研究社� says Samuel Peralta, The Lunar Codex含羞草研究社� payload coordinator and curator.
As his paintings await their lunar leap, it含羞草研究社檚 indescribable for Heine that his art will be among the galactic gallery.
含羞草研究社淚t basically just sits there for the rest of time,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 bizarre, it含羞草研究社檚 a very strange feeling to know that my work is going to be off the planet.含羞草研究社�
Heine含羞草研究社檚 cheery personality comes out with each jovial laugh, a contrast to the mystical visuals of drowning desperation, coastal wistfulness and sorrow told by his brushstrokes in Sirens.
| A digital form of this painting, Duress, by Victoria artist Mark Heine will be going to the moon later this year. (Photo courtesy of Mark Heine) |
While his art is reaching the highs of space, it含羞草研究社檚 the home of Earth含羞草研究社檚 depths that inspire Heine. The oceans have been central in his life since he was young and it含羞草研究社檚 led to him putting all of his artistic might into preserving them.
He含羞草研究社檚 in the late stages of finalizing a fictional book that plays off the characters of the Sirens paintings. Heine含羞草研究社檚 artistic process has been an interplay between his paintings and his writing, with each inspiring the other along the way. The book is a contemporary interpretation of Homer含羞草研究社檚 Odyssey and tells a tale of Sirens 含羞草研究社� creatures from Greek mythology 含羞草研究社� that are harmed by mankind含羞草研究社檚 pollution, garbage and species exploitation. He hopes his storytelling will get youth fired up about environmental sustainability.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 really the ocean crying out to us to try and change the way that we treat the environment,含羞草研究社� Heine said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 about trying to give a personality to the ocean.含羞草研究社�
He sees young people burnt-out by a bombardment with gloomy climate change issues and a hurting Earth, so he hopes a different perspective will awaken their desire to be the planet含羞草研究社檚 saviours.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 trying to get them interested in the story and give the environment more of a voice,含羞草研究社� Heine said.
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Do you have a story tip? Email: jake.romphf@blackpress.ca.
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