2001 Exhibit News |
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Volume 2 |
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March 25, 2001 |
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Issue 26 |
UPDATE - March 25, 2001:
Greetings from Dennis Gonzales
33 years later.
-
Didn't Sir Arthur C.
Clarke look terrific at the Oscars? You can read more about why he was there
in this email. We have a few reviews on the latest "2001" exhibitions,
one from our sponsors about the Tech Museum and one about the Harry Lange
in Oxford, England from Nick Day.
- Review of the Harry Lange exhibition:
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=001692845306412&rtmo=gjGNlY
fu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/01/3/22/ecnody22.html
Posted by, Nick Day, nday@cableinet.co.uk - http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=001692845306412&rtmo=gjGNlY
- France is certainly celebrating "2001" at Premiere.fr with images and awesome QuickTime movies:
- http://www.premiere.fr//ns_projection/ba3/2001/2001.html
- http://www.premiere.fr//ns_news/photos/2001_photos.html
And
Posted by, Dennis Gonzales
- Sir Arthur Clarke at the Oscars:
- http://www.salon.com/people/wire/2001/03/23/clarke/index.html
- Telegraph Network looks at "2001: A Space Odyssey" with Fredrick Ordway, Piers Bizony and others:
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=001692845306412 &rtmo=3SHnBqqM&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/12/30/bfkube30.html
Posted by, Dennis Gonzales - Paul Bailey from cyclepathz.com has been hard at work building the biggest Discovery spacecraft in the world for an event. See Paul and friends build Discovery:
- http://www.cyclepathz.com
Posted by, Paul Bailey gpaulbailey@home.com
- Florida Today retrospective on "2001":
- http://www.floridatoday.com/news/ editorial/stories/2001/feb/edit021101a.htm
Posted by, Dennis Gonzales - Telegraph Network looks at the real AI technology like HAL:
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=001692845306412 &rtmo=3SHnBqqM&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/01/3/8/ecnhal08.html
Posted by, Dennis Gonzales
Entertainment Weekly's "Cyber Digest: Astro - Surf" article, (#578, January 19, 2001) said, "Phil Vendy of Sidney proves himself the Big Man on Campus." And gave him the tag, Ph.D. in Kubrick Studies.
You can now see a picture of the collectors and participants' from the pre-reception party at the Tech Museum, http://www.2001exhibit.org/press.html.
More of the Tech's "2001:Destination Space and the evening's gala event in the next few weeks.
We have models pictures coming on-line next week unfortunately, I lost my camera of the Space Pod construction and will not be able to show you how I was struggling with Captain Cardboard's' famous kit. Speaking of the Captain, (a.k.a. Scott Alexander), he will be delivering his Discovery spacecraft to add to the many "2001" collectibles, demos and props to the exhibition next month. Harrison A. Lorenzana, modeler and special effects artist gives us a sneak preview in the model section of his HAL 9000 computer, http://www.2001exhibit.org/hal_main.html.
Catherine McCall (daughter of Robert McCall) will be providing all of her dad's "2001" paintings on-line sometime down the road in the gallery section.
I had the pleasure of giving a personal tour to Hans Starlife from Cosmica Network, www.cosmica.org, and Steve Durst and members from Space Age Publishing Company, www.spaceagepub.com March 17. Other than our interests in "2001", my feelings in being in space are the same goals of Han's vision. That space exploration and colonization is not just about scientific discoveries but also the next evolution of man and his role in the cosmos, his connection to the stars and Earth. If man can get that connection, we have greater respect for the Earth's resources and peace for all nations. I can't think of anything better than connecting to the stars for peace, can you? Han's also introduced me to his favorite space artist through his brochures and website, Eugen Semitjov that inspired him to his cause. Paintings of human beings in space, in open gestures of reaching for the stars is distinctive about Semitjov. Positive messages about being part of the cosmos. This realization helped me see Robert T. McCall's futuristic space paintings and his paintings of peace and exploration in space between nations at the exhibit. The exhibition proves that "2001:DESTINATION SPACE" can be an open forum between nationalities and that we are not too different from each other when we talk about exploring space in peace. My belief about exploring and living in space, like many other people around the world, would give the scientific community a compelling reason to argue about placing space exploration as a higher priority, to fund missions to the moon and beyond. To remain on Earth for the rest of our existence would kill our will to move on since the "Dawn of Man."
Happy Birthday Hans.
-Dennis Gonzales
New Lockheed Martin-sponsored Tech Museum "2001" exhibit contrasts science fiction with science fact SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 1, 2001 -- A new Lockheed Martin-sponsored exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation uses the 1968 Stanley Kubrick film "2001: A Space Odyssey" as a lens to look both backward to the expectations for space development in 1968, and forward to the year 2001 and beyond. The exhibit Ð "2001: Destination Space" -- which runs through September 3, 2001, also includes a gallery of original paintings by Robert McCall, the preeminent artist of space exploration themes. "Many of the scientists and engineers working on the space program today were inspired by '2001: A Space Odyssey'," said Ron Paulson, Vice President, Remote Sensing and Space Science, at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale. "Our company actually gives them an opportunity to put that inspiration to work in building the future of space exploration and development, and so we're delighted to support The Tech Museum in providing inspiration for those who will continue this work."
The "2001: Destination Space" exhibit at The Tech in San Jose first introduces the film "2001", and the era in which it was made. Rare movie props Ð including a faceplate from the HAL 9000 computer and astronaut David Bowman's space helmet Ð as well as film clips, movie stills, models, and original artwork serve to highlight the contrast between the science fiction of the film and the science fact of today's space program. An interactive exhibit allows visitors to ask questions of HAL and hear his answers. A NASA computer simulation allows visitors to attempt to dock a space shuttle with the International Space Station, and appreciate the difficulty of such a maneuver.
The paintings of Robert McCall on exhibit comprise over 75 original works of art. McCall's' artwork is immediately distinguishable as among the most memorable depictions of space exploration ever rendered. McCall painted the enormous "Conquest of Space" mural at the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as murals at Edwards Air Force Base, the NASA Johnson Space Center, and Disney's EPCOT Center in Florida. Among a long list of additional credits, Mr. McCall created the poster art for the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey," as well as chronicling the United State space program on several sets of U.S. postage stamps.
Visitors to "2001: Destination Space" can also explore space in The Tech's newest permanent interactive activity, Journey to the Planets. The activity allows visitors to embark on a simulated space mission, exploring the environments of the planets in our solar system. Journey to the Planets uses actual data from deep-space probes to simulate topographic and geographic features of our planetary neighbors.
In addition, debuting in March, "2001: Destination Space" will have an online exhibit. It will feature an interactive timeline where visitors can view the chronological scope of the exhibit, 1968-2001, and obtain a brief synopsis of the film. Clickable objects will highlight technologies in the film, technologies that existed in 1968, and their modern day counterparts. The online exhibit will also feature an art gallery of McCall's paintings, as well as interviews with McCall and other technologists who were inspired by "2001: A Space Odyssey." The online site will be found at: http://www.thetech.org.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, headquartered in Denver, Colo., is one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems designs, develops, tests, manufactures, and operates a variety of advanced technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include space launch and ground systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial and government customers, advanced space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, and integration of advanced-technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services. Employing more than 140,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 1999 sales surpassing $25 billion.
For more information about Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Sunnyvale, see our website.
March 2001
Posted by, Buddy Nelson (510) 797-0349, buddy1@home.com
Harry Lange:
It's a room about 20 Feet Square displays round the walls. Lots of material I was not aware had survived; the website does not do it justice yet (increasing my hopes that there's more to come; just about anything would interest me, in whatever condition). Many large superb pencil sketches, including an unused Discovery (I think it was) interior in several different pencil weights with light blue-pencil shading.
An early sketch of the centrifuge interior, 'unrolled', a photo of the complete Discovery still with the disks and wires along the spine, several around the moonbase at Tycho (in the film the base was at Clavius), one showing the excavation from a distance, and several images of early conceptions of TMA1 in a variety of shapes. These were interesting since the real TMA1 was coloured black with pencil lead, and the drawings were in pencil, so in a way you were seeing the absolutely correct colour. There was a prototype design for Frank Poole's couch/chair (in the Birthday message scene). A version of the moonbus with wheels, shown on one side only. I was also delighted that the 2001 material was not significantly diluted with Star Wars or other designs. I was interested that none of the helmet designs had the 'eyes'; this must have been a late addition. Several very detailed designs for the orbiting bombs; airbrushed, I think.
There was one of the 3D postcards which I remember from the foyer of the Cinerama Cinema in London; no programme booklet though (deemed too expensive to buy at the time by my father unfortunately), a blueprint of one of Discovery's pods, different designs for the pod Waldoes, design sketches for the HAL 'brain room' quite different from the final layout, and many more exciting things. They had the film trailer with voiceover running in a loop from video, I think, with the monitor was nicely mounted in a TMA1-like unit [It would have been preferable to use the trailer on the DVD, running on an Apple Cinema Display if the budget would stretch to that. That would look great whilst not being a problem with copyright.
I would have welcomed a quiet loop of the ambient sound of the Discovery interior instead -- superb sound design with the air conditioning, motor and HAL noises. There was a long exposure photo of the Centrifuge exterior rotating, and therefore blurred, which was new to me I think. The photos were mostly of higher quality (resolution) than I've seen recently. I would so much like to see large high-resolution stills from the film.
Notable omissions were anything like a final design for the Space Station [which I'm sure would have wobbled in its rotation in its uncompleted form as shown in the film unless counterweighted], and interiors of the Space Station too. There was an interesting cross-section of the Discovery sphere, showing that the centrifuge is vertical, and placed further back than the centrepoint of the sphere, which was a surprise.
Oh, and also a superb final design for the Discovery sphere and the start of the spine, making clear that it would not have been possible to travel from the sphere to the interior of the spine, due to a very narrow constriction near where it joins the sphere. (I had always wondered if the astronauts could wander down the spine; could it be packed end-to-end with storage cupboards? Answer, no. Of course for the plot, this was a necessity; otherwise the AE35 unit could have been replaced from indoors, presumably.) I wonder now why valuable space was used in the centrifuge to store the frozen crew; maybe gravity was necessary to their well being. And a reproduction of an Arthur Clarke typescript (his Echo/UFO story) with his corrections and amendments, giving an idea of the way he works. You do get an impression of how faithfully the model makers and set builders brought the designs to life and added detail (or simplicity) where required.
The graphic design, typography and colour scheme of the displays was perfect (apart from one misspelling I noticed), and very much in keeping with the film. I found it interesting to notice Lange's style as a common theme in many the designs, which give both the exhibition and the film a coherence which made them (for me) more believable.
There were no artifacts from the film of course. They could have included some of the 2001 items still in production such as the chairs from the Space Station, and the Discovery cutlery. Unfortunately no books or videos (or any other related items) were on sale. I had hoped to get a copy of the new Bizony edition signed by Mr. Lange maybe. In the event this was not available in any of the bookshops we tried.
Posted by, Nick Day, nday@cableinet.co.uk
Posted by:
Dennis Gonzales
2001: Exhibit