Voyager Postscripts
At this moment the Voyager probes are currently hurtling through interstellar space, each carrying a gift for aliens: a golden record with 115 images depicting life on earth (circa 1977). By the time aliens receive these time capsules and come visit, they will no doubt be curious as to why we might no longer be here, why so much has vanished. This collection of postscripts tries to fill in some of the blanks. This series draws from vintage ephemera—the racist and misogynist “truths” of old encyclopedias; exciting depictions of animal slaughter in boys’ adventure books; fun facts about animals now headed toward extinction; photos of what were once called glaciers; maps of Antarctica before the thaw, etc.—in order to document the B side of those golden records. Begun in 2019; ongoing.
“A cultural history of Terra Australis”
1: Antarctica, painted in reflective mirror paint.
2. Antarctica, with references to Verne, Poe, Lovecraft, and Nazi hollow earth fantasies about this continent.
3. Antarctica, painted in Black 2.0 acrylic, reflecting less than 4% visible light.
“faster than thought”
The title comes from an Associated Press story on April 8, 2019: “Global Warming Is Shrinking Glaciers Faster than Thought.” Handkerchief and paper on velvet, approx 15” x 16”.
“Ghost-worshiping semi-savages seeking guidance from omen-birds.”
The title comes from text in a vintage encyclopedia set, early 20th c. ” 12.5” x 12” on burlap.
“…the wolves, always numerous and but little molested, had become so daring that in open day they prowled through the villages, and became exclusively fond of human flesh. It was necessary to hunt them down, and to take them in traps and pitfalls….”
Title and images taken from old adventure tales for boys. Paper, paint, and string on upholstery fabric, 12” x 6”.
“…in captivity they quietly observe their surroundings with their wise eyes, recognizing the characters and morals of humans…”
Images from a vintage children’s book of animals in captivity. (These are sets of triptychs, better viewed in desktop view rather than mobile.
