Pat Rawlings Space Artist
How Visualization Aids the Design Process
Thursday, April 10, 2008 5:15-7:00pm.
Location
SAIC building,
Conference room 150.
Pat Rawlings creates images based on scientific and technical themes that appeal to both rocket scientists and regular folk. His extraterrestrial “snapshots” of future events give viewers a sense of “being there” as explorers hop from one world to the next using the best technology of the 21st century. Rawlings' desire to travel in space and time motivate him to make scenes as accurate as possible. After consulting with numerous space experts around the country, he uses hand-built and computer models, topographical maps, and space and family vacation photos to mentally create his worlds. “Space art,” says the artist, “provides me with an excuse to talk to some of the most interesting people in the country, build miniature models of space ships, and then sit in my studio painting or working on the computer for hours while listening to movie soundtracks and classical music.”