One of my favorite museums is the Vance Kirkland Museum in downtown Denver. Currently there is an exhibition of Kirkland's painting portraying his vision of the Cosmos. It is outstanding, fascinating, bizarre... especially if you know the origin behind them. What an illustration of his intellect and imagination!
Kirkland was fascinated with space and he painted these beginning in 1954, way before the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik 1 in October of 1957! While there were photographic images of space during his time, Kirkland died in 1981, way before the use of the Hubble and Webb telescopes.
One of his "Nebulae Abstractions" series ~ Creation of Space ~ 1960.
His interest in astronomy and outer space was heavily influenced by scientific publications. He
followed the work of physicist Albert Einstein, astronomer Fred Hoyle
and scientist Carl Sagan. Often dedicating his paintings to them.
"Energy of Vibrations in Space" series ~ Space No 14 ~ 1966
Part of the "Energy of Vibrations in Space" series ~ Red on Blue ~ 1965
"Energy of Forms in Space" series ~ The Mystery of Explosions on the Sun 6 Billion Years B.C. ~ 1979. I love the palette and movement of this piece.
Check this out! This is a photo of a genuine Cosmo. Look at the similarity of the Kirkland's painting above!
"Energy of Forces in Space" series ~ Explosion of a Sun 100 Billion Light Years From Earth ~ 1976
"Energy of Explosions in Space" series ~ The Energy of Explosions of the Sun Sixty Billion Years B.C. ~ 1978
His "Energy of Forms in Space" series ~ Unknown Space Mysteries 9 Billion Years B. C. ~ 1979
Again, this is a photo of a Cosmo. Looks very much like the painting above.
I have written many posts on the Kirkland Museum. If interested in reading more, type Vance Kirkland into the rectangular box, upper left hand corner that has the magnifying glass symbol. You will be amazed of the extent of the museums's collection.
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