Psyche Inspired
Learn more about the Psyche Inspired program and view other works
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Psyche Inspired: Zarina Karapetyan
Institution: Arizona State University
Major: Art History
Psyche Inspired Class: 2020-2021
Reflections on Psyche Inspired
Reflections on Project 1: Textures of Psyche
Textures of Psyche
Zarina Karapetyan
Major: Art History
Genre/Medium: plaster, sand, texture paste, acrylic and watercolor
About the work: This multi-media piece titled The Textures of Psyche is inspired by the rugged landscape of what the Psyche asteroid could look like. This piece was made with sand, cement paste, and earthy elements that flow seamlessly with each other. The craters, peaks, and cracks show the impacts that this metallic world has gone through over time. The colors are soft and hold an atmospheric quality to them, representing the ethereal nature of the cosmos. Further layers of gold and copper metal paint reflect in the light, representing the unknown metals on the mysterious Psyche asteroid.
Reflections on Project 2: Sight of Psyche
Sight of Psyche
Zarina Karapetyan
Major: Art History
Genre/Medium: metal, texture paste, and acrylic
About the work: The piece is created on a sheet of galvanized aluminum, with sand and paste to create contrasting elements and textures to represent Psyche. This abstract painting pushes and pulls the eye into different mediums and allows the atmospheric quality of space and metal to be pulled forward. Using the aluminum sheet, the light is constantly shifting depending on the viewer’s perspective. The piece is created on a sheet of galvanized aluminum, with sand and paste to create contrasting elements and textures to represent Psyche. This abstract painting pushes and pulls the eye into different mediums and allows the atmospheric quality of space and metal to be pulled forward. Using the aluminum sheet, the light is constantly shifting depending on the viewer’s perspective.
Reflections on Project 3: Movement at Psyche
Movement at Psyche
Zarina Karapetyan
Major: Art History
Genre/Medium: texture, sand, metals
About the work: This piece was inspired by the idea of research and note taking: the beginning stages of the Psyche mission. Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebook was a key inspiration for this piece, with the red and grey writing invoking a similar style of writing to his sketches. The writings include statistics and details of the Psyche asteroid, along with a sheet of brass, aluminum, and slab of sand to represent the different metallic and earthly materials the asteroid may be composed of. The circular diagram shows the Psyche mission launch map in context with the Sun, Earth, and Mars. When viewing this piece, it feels like you’re looking at a topographical map, as well architectural plans. This piece also harbors the symbol for the Psyche asteroid on the right hand corner, the semicircle representing the symbol for the soul in Greek and the star on top representing a butterfly’s wing. The word Ψυχή is Greek for the Psyche goddess of the soul. All together, these elements create a painting that feels like a sheet ripped from a plan book, though elevated to highlight the research that goes into a space mission.
Reflections on Project 4: The Butterfly & Star
The Butterfly & Star
Zarina Karapetyan
Major: Art History
Genre/Medium: acrylic, ink, and texture on canvas
About the work: “The Butterfly and the Star” depicts the symbol of the (16) Psyche asteroid. The symbol is a semicircle with a star on top. The semicircle is a representation of a butterfly’s wing – a reference to the Greek word, Psyche, which means “soul.” The painting showcases this symbol in a bold white font wrapped with the three primary colors: red, yellow and blue. These colors give a sense that the symbol is slightly vibrating. The background is painted black with little white stars, representing space and the infinite universe behind it.
