For much of the 20th century, outer space was where we, as a nation, envisioned ourselves in the future. During the 1950s, a future in space seemed very plausible, as if tomorrow a person could be battling Martians on their way to work. We saw the start of the space race, the expansion of special effects being used in motion pictures, the recent end to World War II and the subsequent social and economic boom. Our thoughts could not help turning to such an exciting & hopeful place like outer space. Our hopes and dreams, fears and expectations helped to color our vision of the unknown entity of outer space. By the year 2000, it was thought that the standard mode of transportation would be via the family flying machines.
Space invaded our toys as well. The action figures used in this body of work were sold during the early 1950s. I chose these figures because through their amazingly detailed poses, they convey to me a sense of hope and humor, remaining fantastic yet reflective of the times both physically and emotionally. While I was not born during the 1950s, these figures provide a reflective tour through what society’s fantasy was about our future in space. Dynamic, visually interesting landscapes & textures support the belief that these were indeed space men and women from the future.
Ernie Button
