Colored Universe: Media Influence of Color in Astrocultural Contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57021/artcadia.7304Keywords:
space media, space art, astroculture, false-color imaging, data visualizationAbstract
The role of space art and space media is becoming increasingly prominent in contemporary visual culture. Beyond merely rendering distant worlds visible, space telescopes, rovers, and probes are reshaping the boundaries of human perception. These instruments collect data across spectra invisible to the human eye, prompting scientists to use novel forms of color coding to make cosmic realities comprehensible. In this process, color becomes an active agent in meaning-making, influencing how we perceive and interpret images and symbols related to outer space. False-color imagery, in addition to its scientific utility, evokes the emotional experience described by Frank White as the "overview effect," contributing to a deeper understanding of our cosmic position and expressing the aesthetic dimensions of planetary consciousness. This study examines the meaning-making role of color as a medial phenomenon through selected examples from fine art and film.
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