A Child’s Psyche
Jennah Colborn
Major: Physics
Genre/Medium: Acrylic Paint, Mixed Materials
About the work: While reflecting on what inspired me about Psyche and NASA’s many other iconic missions, I found my thoughts frequently returning to childhood memories: visiting the local aerospace museum with my dad, looking through telescopes, & watching Star Trek late at night. These activities sparked a natural curiosity in me which, when coupled with a vivid imagination, ignited a lifetime passion for space exploration. I wanted to pay homage to that curious child in this project. I collaborated with a brilliant 8-year old space enthusiast, Zachary Fleck, to visualize what the surface of Psyche might look like from a first-person point of view. I cemented his drawing in the center of my painting to illustrate our central motivation for exploration: learning more about our universe for the simple pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake. I then applied mixed materials of aluminum foil, silver paper, & gemstones in layers across the canvas to illustrate the creativity and abstract thinking that goes into successful space missions. Creating this collage was very fun for me; I purposely used only materials I could find around my house, and tried to create something “imperfect” as I channeled my inner child. I believe that the end piece is playful yet inspiring, and that it reflects the pure heart of the Psyche mission.
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