Beauty of Space Art

Jon Ramer is President of The International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA). IAAA was founded in 1982 by a small group of artists. Since its founding, the IAAA has grown to number over 130 members, representing twenty countries. Their work has also grown, to incorporate a number of styles and viewpoints. The object of the IAAA as a non-profit foundation is to implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects, to promote education about astronomical art and to foster international cooperation in artistic work inspired by the exploration of the Universe. Ramer and the IAAA frequently are invited by AAS and other organizations to host artwork displays at local conferences and lead public awareness events on space art. Ramer was the editor of the first edition of Beauty in Space.Ron Miller is an American illustrator and writer who lives and works in South Boston, Virginia. He now specializes in astronomical, astronautical and science fiction books for adults and young adults. He worked as a commercial artist and designer for six years, before taking a position as art director for the National Air and Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium. To date he has nearly sixty book titles to his credit, and his illustrations have appeared on hundreds of book jackets, book interiors and in magazines such as National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Scientific American, Smithsonian, Analog, Starlog, Air & Space, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Science et Vie, Newsweek, Natural History, Discover, GEO and others. Miller has been on the faculty of the International Space University. He is a contributing editor for Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine; a member of the International Academy of Astronautics; a member of the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society; a Life Member, Fellow and past Trustee of the International Association of Astronomical Artists; an Honorary Member of the Sociétè Jules Verne(Paris); a past member of the North American Jules Verne Society and a past Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society.

“And though exceptionally well-illustrated, this is more than just a fancy coffee-table picture book. … This is a comprehensive, fascinating account of space art by experts in the field. The illustrations are wonderful and, yes, some are beautiful. … this is an excellent book and I learned a lot … .” (Barry Kent, The Observatory, Vol. 142 (1286), February, 2022)

• PrefaceBy Jon Ramer, President, International Association of Astronomical ArtistsForewordBy Alan Bean, Apollo 12 AstronautAbout the AuthorsPart One: The History of Space ArtChapter 1: Introduction to the Beauty of Space ArtBy Jon RamerChapter 2: Astronomical Art: From Ancient Times to the Industrial Revolution By Don DavisChapter 3: Pioneers of the Final Frontier: Space Art from Victorian Times to World War IIBy Ron MillerChapter 4: The Spreading of Astronomical Art: World War II to the Moon LandingsBy Ron MillerChapter 5: Space Art as a Modern Movement: From the Moon to TodayBy Lois Rosson and Ron MillerChapter 6: The Founding of a GuildBy Kara Szathmáry, Ron Miller, and Jon RamerChapter 7: Patrons of the (Space) ArtsBy Steve HobbsChapter 8: How Artists Changed Our PerceptionsBy Jon RamerPart Two: Styles and Techniques of Space ArtChapter 9: Rocks & Balls: Classical/Naturalistic PaintingsBy Michael CarrollChapter 10: Hardware Art: Space Art Meets Rocket ScienceBy Aldo SpadoniChapter 11: “Swirly Art”: Techniques and Masterpieces of the Experimental and AbstractBy Ron Miller, Kara Szathmáry, Judith Broome-Riviere, and Jon RamerChapter 12: Going DigitalBy Ron Miller, Jon Ramer, and Nick StevensChapter 13: More Than Paint or Pixels: Three-Dimensional Space ArtBy Matt ColbornChapter 14: Balancing Science, Size, and SubjectivityBy Mark GarlickChapter 15: Planetary Analogues: Our Solar System on EarthBy Jon RamerAfterword: The Future of the GenreBy Ron MillerGlossary of TermsFurther Reading