2003 01 00 Art Journal - Vol 62 No 3 - Jane D Marsching

Magazine Overview

Title: Art Journal
Issue: Vol. 62, No. 3
Date: Autumn, 2003
Publisher: College Art Association
Country: United States
Language: English

This issue of Art Journal features the article "Orbs, Blobs, and Glows: Astronauts, UFOs, and Photography" by Jane D. Marsching, which explores the intersection of space exploration, photography, and the human fascination with the unknown.

Orbs, Blobs, and Glows: Astronauts, UFOs, and Photography

The article by Jane D. Marsching delves into the phenomenon of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) as captured or reported by astronauts during NASA's Gemini and Apollo missions. Marsching highlights the dichotomy between scientific observation and the paranormal interpretations that often surround these events. She notes that while astronomers and ufologists both study outer space, their motivations differ significantly.

The author discusses claims, widely circulated online, that Neil Armstrong saw UFOs, describing them as "two pale orbs haloed in a cobalt glow hovering in a pitch-black void." Websites also report other pixelated images attributed to Armstrong, showing a ball of light over a spaceship and a seahorse-shaped blob. Marsching points out that despite Armstrong photographing extensively, no clear images of spacecraft were taken at the moment of these alleged sightings; instead, the images circulating feature formless blobs, hazy glows, and cigar-shaped objects.

Four years earlier, in 1965, Gemini 7 astronauts Frank Borman and James A. Lovell photographed similar orbs near their Titan booster rocket. NASA's official description notes they saw "unidentifiable objects in orbit." These astronauts were also part of the historic Apollo 8 mission that captured the iconic "Earthrise" image.

The article contrasts the scientific aims of space missions, such as mapping the lunar surface, with the simultaneous documentation of every aspect of the flight through photography. It suggests that the late 1960s, a period of significant space achievements, also saw reports of UFOs both on the Moon and in Earth's orbit.

Marsching examines how images from space, particularly those taken by astronauts, have become significant cultural artifacts. While early technologies like the Tiros satellite provided the first television images of Earth, the Gemini and Apollo images were widely released and carried the weight of human presence. These images, often taken with ordinary cameras, are seen as imbued with human subjectivity and wonder, making them relatable and part of our world, assuaging national fears and making outer space seem familiar.

However, the astronauts' UFO images are positioned outside this mainstream narrative, residing in a "cyber netherworld" of paranormal and debunking sites. These images are often dismissed as photographic errors, such as reflections or floating debris. Marsching draws on Charles Fort's idea that astronomy focuses on one aspect of existence, while the "obverse phenomena" remain outside scientific inquiry. The astronauts' UFO photographs are seen as revealing a hunger for the "other," a cosmos of possibility beyond clear science.

Carl Jung's theory is invoked, suggesting that UFOs represent a blend of religious beliefs and technological drives. The article notes that UFO sightings often resist easy description or interpretation, with many witnesses contextualizing their experiences by stating they never believed in UFOs before.

The article traces the history of UFO photography, starting with Jose Bonilla's 1883 photographs of hundreds of fuzzy round objects crossing the sun, taken at the Zacatecas Observatory. It then moves to the 1947 newspaper reports of pilot Kenneth Arnold's sighting of "flying saucers" near Mount Rainier, which popularized the term. The infamous Roswell incident of the same year, involving a claimed crashed flying saucer and subsequent government cover-up claims, is also mentioned as a defining moment in modern ufology.

Marsching discusses how the late 1960s and the NASA space program expanded human perception, leading to increased speculation about the unknown. A 2002 Roper poll indicated that a majority of Americans believe UFOs are real and have visited Earth. The article touches on the Hubble Space Telescope's "Pillars of Creation" image, where some viewers reported seeing an image of Jesus, illustrating the human tendency to find patterns in ambiguous data.

This tendency is further explored through the concept of "pareidolia," the misperception of patterns in unstructured data. Examples range from religious visions to cloud-gazing. The article posits that seeing is a subjective and active process, influenced by our desires and the limitations of our senses. The brain constructs a whole from fragmented data, and analogy plays a key role in connecting the known with the unknown.

The article concludes by reflecting on the astronaut's journey into space as a modern echo of a journey to the heavens. UFO photographs taken by astronomers or equipment are seen as a "technological retelling of visitations from angels." The author expresses a personal fascination with these images, not necessarily with what is real, but with the desire they represent to create a reality where wonder and the extraordinary exist.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the intersection of art, science, technology, and belief, particularly concerning phenomena that challenge conventional understanding, such as UFOs and space imagery. The article "Orbs, Blobs, and Glows" highlights the tension between empirical evidence and subjective interpretation, exploring how images from space, whether scientific or purported sightings of the unexplained, are processed through human perception and cultural narratives. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, examining the cultural significance and psychological underpinnings of belief in the extraordinary, while acknowledging the allure of mystery and the unknown. The magazine, through its focus on art and its cultural context, encourages a nuanced view of how we interpret visual information and construct reality.

This document is a single page from a magazine issue, featuring a detailed description and photograph of the art installation titled 'Wave UFO' by Moriko Mori. The artwork was created between 1999 and 2002.

'Wave UFO' Art Installation

The 'Wave UFO' is described as incorporating a brainwave interface, a vision dome, a projector, and a computer system. The materials used in its construction are listed as fiberglass, Technogel, acrylic, carbon fiber, aluminum, and magnesium. The dimensions of the installation are provided as 16 feet 2 inches in height, 37 feet 2 inches in width, and 17 feet 4 inches in depth, which translates to 4.93 x 11.34 x 5.28 meters. The artwork is presented courtesy of Deitch Projects in New York. The photograph accompanying the description was taken by Richard Learoyd.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

While this page focuses on a specific art installation, the inclusion of 'Wave UFO' suggests a potential theme related to the intersection of technology, human consciousness, and artistic expression, possibly with a speculative or futuristic undertone, given the 'UFO' in its title and the nature of a 'brainwave interface'. The editorial stance, based on this single page, appears to be informative and appreciative of contemporary art that explores advanced concepts and materials.