Psyche Inspired: Cristian Ponce

Institution: California Institute of Technology

Major: Biological Engineering

Psyche Inspired Class: 2022-2023

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: Pulp Psyche

Pulp Psyche

Cristian Ponce

December 19th, 2022

Major: Biological Engineering

Genre/Medium: Graphic Design, Digital Art

About the work:This piece was designed with the intent to inspire viewers with a sense of adventure and thrill that they may get from seeing the cover of an old pulp fiction book. The sense of awe that we get from working on scientific projects is not always easily communicable to people without the same background or interests, but there are many aspects of popular culture that connect us. By utilizing a retro sci-fi, adventurous style, “Pulp Psyche” seeks to inspire people to learn more about the 16-Psyche and the Psyche mission. Adding to the sci-fi theme, the two sketches in the piece (asteroids and astronaut) were generated by an AI model, DALLE2. The use of AI to generate parts of the art connect the imagination of science fiction to the reality of rapid developments in computing and science.

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Reflections on Project 2: Psyche 2129

Psyche 2129

Cristian Ponce

February 13th, 2023

Major: Biological Engineering

Genre/Medium: Photography / Graphic Design

About the work: I have always been inspired by travel and the romantic feelings that it inspires. When I was a child, before wanted to be a scientist, I wanted to be a train conductor. Some of my favorite art originates from the depictions of travel by train during the boom in Art Deco style and the artistic romanticizations of flight during the Jet Age. In Psyche 2129, I wanted to imagine what similar art/advertisements might look like during the golden age of space travel. The sparkling drink in a glass cup and the ring attempt to include elements of prosperity in the piece, similar to comparable work of the Jet Age.

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Reflections on Project 3: A Matinee on Main (Asteroid Belt)

A Matinee on Main (Asteroid Belt)

Cristian Ponce

March 20th, 2023

Major: Biological Engineering

Genre/Medium: Photography / Graphic Design

About the work: My first piece for Psyche Inspired attempted to explore Psyche imagined as a pulp-fiction thriller. For Matinee on Main, I wanted to capture the same sense of childhood wonder that surrounds the idea of the mission and travel deep into the solar system to explore an ancient world. I was inspired by the movie posters of the 80s to create this piece, namely Jurassic Park’s poster. I came across the main shot of the piece by chance, while experimenting with volumetric lighting and using patterns on my projector to illuminate the face of a friend. Her face represents Psyche’s, which is blended into the asteroid, showing Psyche looking out from the asteroid.

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Reflections on Project 4: Trans World Airlines 2023

Trans World Airlines 2023

Cristian Ponce

April 17th, 2023

Major: Biological Engineering

Genre/Medium: Photography, Graphic Design

About the work: In a search for inspiration, I ended up at Surplus Sid’s Military Surplus Shack in Carrboro, NC. Initially reluctant to join me, my friends were worried about the characters that would populate a run-down military surplus store in the South. We ended up being the only people in the store, other than Surplus Sid. He was a kind, tall man with a long, white beard who followed me around to explain items around the shop. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw schematics for the SR-71 on his wall. I asked if he was a fan of aerospace engineering, and he replied yes. He explained to me that when he was my age, he made a list of 108 things that he wanted to do before he died. The 108th thing was walking on the hills of the Moon. He never got to do that, but he explained he was able to come close, seeing the glow of our atmosphere from the edge of space. Above the documents, there was a picture of a much younger man in what looked like a space suit. Sid explained that he worked in military intelligence, and was friends with a pilot of one of only a few SR-71 planes with a co-pilot seat. We continued to talk and I explained my interest and space and work with Psyche Inspired, asking if there were any old magazines he had. He found some LIFE magazines published as far back as the 40s. I rushed home to read the magazines, finding a TWA ad that I immediately was inspired by. I decided to recreate the ad with my friend, Tanner, before realizing it would be great for the Psyche Inspired program.

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Psyche Inspired

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