Our Favorite Fantastic Art from Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years
Fifty years ago today, an unassuming little sci-fi show premiered on CBS, and promptly changed the world. What was expected to be a lowbrow children’s adventure instead would up breaking barriers—and we’re not just talking about the Enterprise cruising at warp speed.
Even though they inhabited the 23rd century, Captain Jim Kirk and co. were a product of the late-1960s, and their adventures tackled the most polarizing political issues of the day, from racism and race relations, to the anti-war movement—albeit couched in “safe” metaphors about odd-colored aliens and intergalactic super-beings. When Kick and Uhura locked lips for the first (and only) time, viewers saw something unprecedented: a white man kissing a black woman on national television, at a time when a couple doing the same thing on the wrong street corner were putting their lives at risk.
I was not around in 1966. I came to the franchise more than 20 years later, a season or two into the run of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Raised on Star Wars from before I could form my first lasting memories, I feel deeply in love with this “new” kind of science fictional universe, one in which it seemed anything could happen, and all the secrets of the universe could be unlocked. TNG showed me that sci-fi can encompass all genres and almost any idea. The important thing is to approach everything in the universe with an inquisitive nature and the expectation that you don’t have all the right answers, but if you look hard enough, you can find them.
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It’s no wonder the franchise has lived long and prospered. (Bring on Star Trek: Discovery!)
In celebration of Trek’s 50th anniversary, Titan Books is publishing Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years, an oversized art book featuring wildly disparate contributions from a wide array of artists, all of whom were asked to contribute a work that symbolizes what we talk about when we talk about Trek. The finished product spans five decades and multiple TV series, the big screen and small, paintings and sculpture. It’s a celebration of everything Trek stands for, starting with the fact that everyone sees it a little bit differently (just try getting five fans to agree on the definitive best Trek TV series ever).
As the whole world celebrates 50 years of boldly going where no one has gone before, we’re showing off seven (it had to be seven) of our favorite images from the book (though truth be told, we love every one), celebrating infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
LLAP.
[caption id="attachment_12837" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Untitled” Artist: Ulises Farinas[/caption]
“My drawing is an overview of almost every Star Trek series through how the characters fall on a spectrum of order versus chaos. I watch Star Trek every day, and I began watching it when I was going through very difficult times… Watching Star Trek gave me comfort, because one of its central themes is home someone balances the conflicting elements within themselves.” —Ulises Farinas
[caption id="attachment_12836" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Strange New Worlds” Artist: Josh Lane[/caption]
“I love the iconic imagery of the Original Series, and my piece breaks down some of the series icons into simpler forms. It’s very symmetric, and structured, almost logical. It’s incredibly exciting to pay tribute to something that had a big impact on me creatively.” —Josh Lane
[caption id="attachment_12835" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “A Team and a Spaceship” Artist: Jean-Baptiste Roux[/caption]
“My poster combines cubism and abstract style and represents the original Star Trek crew by their spaceship. The main idea is that each member of the crew has a function, each member is important, and together the unit is as one: the Enterprise.” —Jean-Baptiste Roux
[caption id="attachment_12839" align="aligncenter" width="700"] “Risk Is Our Business” Artist: Mick Cassidy[/caption]
“It always comes back to the Original Series for me. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are the ones I grew up with. They’ve always been a part of the family. The show’s been a part of my life for so long now, it’s like comfort food. If I’m home sick, I’ll stick on Star Trek to get through the day.” —Mick Cassidy
[caption id="attachment_12832" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “They’re Dead, Jim” Artist: Anna-Maria Jung[/caption]
“[I wanted] to honor all the brave redshirts who made a short, but deadly appearance on many classic Star Trek episodes. I prepared by researching the most gruesome redshirt deaths. The concept of the ‘redshirt’ is a most fascinating trope, and while it’s tragic that so many aspiring men and women at the beginning of their careers were sent into certain death, I also found it quite funny how obvious it was that a certain crewmember was about to die..” —Anna-MariaJung
[caption id="attachment_12834" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Star Trek: The Original Series” Artist: Dusty Abell[/caption]
“My poster is a loving homage to one of my favorite shows ever and includes at least one character,creature, ship, or location from every one of the original 79 episodes. The trinity of Kirk/Spock/McCoy was the backbone and soul of the show for me. Individually, they represented three distinct qualities whose interplay was the most appealing part of the series in my eyes… Kirk the ethical leader, Spock the logical sounding board, and McCoy the emotional confidant.” —Dusty Abell
[caption id="attachment_12833" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Strangely Drawn to It” Artist: Dave Quiggle[/caption]
“On its surface, my piece is simply a portrait of Spock holding a cat. However, fans will recognize that this cat is no ordinary cat but is in fact a shapeshifter named Isis with an alternate female form. I’m personally drawn to art that is simple at first but then has an air of mystery the more you sit with it” —Dave Quiggle
There are 43 more works to enjoy in Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years. It’s a lovely book, and a perfect celebration of a momentous occasion in sci-fi history.
Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years is available now.
It’s no wonder the franchise has lived long and prospered. (Bring on Star Trek: Discovery!)
In celebration of Trek’s 50th anniversary, Titan Books is publishing Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years, an oversized art book featuring wildly disparate contributions from a wide array of artists, all of whom were asked to contribute a work that symbolizes what we talk about when we talk about Trek. The finished product spans five decades and multiple TV series, the big screen and small, paintings and sculpture. It’s a celebration of everything Trek stands for, starting with the fact that everyone sees it a little bit differently (just try getting five fans to agree on the definitive best Trek TV series ever).
As the whole world celebrates 50 years of boldly going where no one has gone before, we’re showing off seven (it had to be seven) of our favorite images from the book (though truth be told, we love every one), celebrating infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
LLAP.
[caption id="attachment_12837" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Untitled” Artist: Ulises Farinas[/caption]
“My drawing is an overview of almost every Star Trek series through how the characters fall on a spectrum of order versus chaos. I watch Star Trek every day, and I began watching it when I was going through very difficult times… Watching Star Trek gave me comfort, because one of its central themes is home someone balances the conflicting elements within themselves.” —Ulises Farinas
[caption id="attachment_12836" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Strange New Worlds” Artist: Josh Lane[/caption]
“I love the iconic imagery of the Original Series, and my piece breaks down some of the series icons into simpler forms. It’s very symmetric, and structured, almost logical. It’s incredibly exciting to pay tribute to something that had a big impact on me creatively.” —Josh Lane
[caption id="attachment_12835" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “A Team and a Spaceship” Artist: Jean-Baptiste Roux[/caption]
“My poster combines cubism and abstract style and represents the original Star Trek crew by their spaceship. The main idea is that each member of the crew has a function, each member is important, and together the unit is as one: the Enterprise.” —Jean-Baptiste Roux
[caption id="attachment_12839" align="aligncenter" width="700"] “Risk Is Our Business” Artist: Mick Cassidy[/caption]
“It always comes back to the Original Series for me. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are the ones I grew up with. They’ve always been a part of the family. The show’s been a part of my life for so long now, it’s like comfort food. If I’m home sick, I’ll stick on Star Trek to get through the day.” —Mick Cassidy
[caption id="attachment_12832" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “They’re Dead, Jim” Artist: Anna-Maria Jung[/caption]
“[I wanted] to honor all the brave redshirts who made a short, but deadly appearance on many classic Star Trek episodes. I prepared by researching the most gruesome redshirt deaths. The concept of the ‘redshirt’ is a most fascinating trope, and while it’s tragic that so many aspiring men and women at the beginning of their careers were sent into certain death, I also found it quite funny how obvious it was that a certain crewmember was about to die..” —Anna-MariaJung
[caption id="attachment_12834" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Star Trek: The Original Series” Artist: Dusty Abell[/caption]
“My poster is a loving homage to one of my favorite shows ever and includes at least one character,creature, ship, or location from every one of the original 79 episodes. The trinity of Kirk/Spock/McCoy was the backbone and soul of the show for me. Individually, they represented three distinct qualities whose interplay was the most appealing part of the series in my eyes… Kirk the ethical leader, Spock the logical sounding board, and McCoy the emotional confidant.” —Dusty Abell
[caption id="attachment_12833" align="aligncenter" width="637"] “Strangely Drawn to It” Artist: Dave Quiggle[/caption]
“On its surface, my piece is simply a portrait of Spock holding a cat. However, fans will recognize that this cat is no ordinary cat but is in fact a shapeshifter named Isis with an alternate female form. I’m personally drawn to art that is simple at first but then has an air of mystery the more you sit with it” —Dave Quiggle
There are 43 more works to enjoy in Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years. It’s a lovely book, and a perfect celebration of a momentous occasion in sci-fi history.
Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years is available now.