Inspiration from Information: Wonders of Psyche
Ally Lewis
Major: Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering
Genre/Medium: Digital Medium–Procreate!
About the work: After doing some in-depth research on the Psyche asteroid itself, and hearing a particularly interesting talk from Dr. Rona Oran and her work in determining the magnetic properties of Psyche, I realized the sheer volume of useful, novel, and groundbreaking information that Psyche itself can provide for us. As such, I wanted to depict just that–the unimaginable amount of information, and thus inspiration, that will result from the data collection and analysis of the Psyche asteroid. To do so, I embarked on my first-ever journey in digital media with Procreate, and attempted to utilize the extensive tools, color palettes, and textures offered by the app–perhaps symbolically mirroring the extensive tools needed to analyze the Psyche asteroid. This journey was long and laborious, yet invaluable, as seen in the layered draft images that contribute to the final end drawing. In this drawing itself, a black-and-white Earth stands stagnant as it collects information from Psyche through a telescope, representing the extensive machinery used during the mission to learn more about the metallic properties of the asteroid. The Psyche asteroid, also in black-and-white, is drawn in great detail to represent the various, complex realms of information that it has to offer our current world of science. The rest of the drawing is taken up by long, winding trails of color filled in by patterns that symbolize the information we have the potential to unlock from the asteroid, from atoms in the top right, to rock-like textures in the central portion of the image. Each trail of color leads from the asteroid to the telescope, representing a constant stream of data and valuable scientific findings that researchers are so hopeful for with this mission. Bursting with colors and patterns galore, Psyche is a gold mine of valuable scientific discoveries, rich with potential and inspiration. That understanding became clear in my mind as I created this work, and I hope it is a connection that you can make as you view my work too!
