In a galaxy not-so-far-away, the future may look something like suspended microcosmic worlds set against a star-studded sky. American artist Nicole Gustafsson uses delicate, dreamy colors to paint the atmospheric details of a series of otherworldly ecosystems. The painted structures appear disjointed from their original landmasses, meteors flung far from each other and left to float out in the galactic abyss.
Seemingly balanced in space according to the wills of gravity, the mystical works, called Celestial Spaces, are rooted in careful pragmatic study. The artist’s personal interest in all things space and science encouraged her to get a little intersteller with her art; she shares with The Creators Project: “[I] love hearing about the advances in space exploration, everything from Cassini and Mars Voyager to more recent tests involving Space X. In my paintings, I translated these thoughts and inspirations, as landform and mineral studies as a visual for the infinite possibilities our universe holds.”
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Drift, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel 8″ x 10″
Gustafsson continues, “As we voyage further in our solar system, we discover more and more surprises, and reevaluate what we thought we knew about our universe. It’s this idea of wonderment and discovery that I sought to depict in my work.”
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Crystalline, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel 10″ x 10″
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Vale, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel, 11″ x 14″
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Submerge, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel 11″ x 14″
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Convergence, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel 10″ x 10″
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Spire, 2016, gouache, ink on wood panel 10″ x 10″
Celestial Spaces, Gustafsson’s first solo exhibition, showed at Flatcolor Gallery in May. To view more of the artist’s fantastical works, click here.
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