As Professor Vesna stated, people have always been fascinated with space.  This holds very true to me, and I found this week's topic of space and art intriguing.  Space is an unimaginable place, and the technology that has developed to teach us everything we have learned about space is quite amazing.  

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Learning about all of the steps that were utilized to reach what we know today about space is incredible.  I learned a lot about the history of space technology this week.  In relation to the connection between art and space I found the idea of the "no gravity" art exhibition very unique.  The exhibition Dancing on the Ceiling: Art and Zero Gravity represents this idea of weightlessness on earth.  The exhibition is based on two primary ideas: the theme of transcendence and the idea of zero gravity (Forde).   

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One of the exhibits that can be viewed at this gallery is titled Float! by Thom Kubli.  This exhibit involves viewers getting into a floatation tank, while listening to the soundtrack created by the artist.  The artist describes it as an "anti-environment" experiment.  The water in the tank is body temperature and has a high salinity volume in order to cause the person in it to float (Forde).  The idea is that your senses are deprived of stimulation and you are able to completely relax as you enter into a, "meditative, trance-like state" (Willett).  Here is a short video further describing this interesting and unique exhibit: 

This tank relates to space because it creates a "zero-gravity" feel.  Another, different variation, of zero-gravity art was created by Frank Pietronigro who created "drift paintings" in which the artist physically floats in zero-gravity while painting.  Here is a photograph of the chamber in which he paints ("Frank").

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Pietronigro has worked with NASA in order to create these artworks.  His goals are to, "create a new medium of space art but to also enrich the culture of space exploration" ("Frank"). 

Images:

[1]http://7-themes.com/6810480-space-wallpaper.html
[2]http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/189/hires/8785.jpg
[3]http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/738718main_frank-paint-chamber-horizontal_226-170.jpg

Works Cited: 

-Forde, Kathleen. "Dancing on the Ceiling: Art and Zero Gravity". Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2010. Web. 31 May 2015. 

-"Frank Pietronigro: Zero-Gravity Space Artist." NASA. NASA, 2 April 2015. Web. 31 May 2015. 
-Pietronigro, Frank. Frank Pietronigro:Interdisciplinary Art. Frank Pietronigro, 2014. Web. 31 May 2015. 
-Vesna, Victoria. "Lecture Part 1-Intro". UCLA. Web. 31 May 2015. 
-Willett, Claire. "Defining Gravity: Thomas Kubli's "Float! Thinktank 21".  New York 2night. Cities2Night LLC, 2011. Web. 31 May 2015.