Special Reports

Moon artist

By Michael Rass ⋅ July 8, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

(Photo by Carolyn Russo/NASM, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright: Smithsonian Institution)

(Photo by Carolyn Russo/NASM, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright: Smithsonian Institution)

Apollo astronaut Alan Bean returned to Earth covered with moondust. Now he makes moon art with dusty patches of cloth from his spacesuit.

Click here to view Alan Bean’s artwork at the Alan Bean Gallery or at the Painting Apollo exibition at the Smithsonian.

Lisa Mullins talks with Alan Bean about his art:

That’s How It Felt to Walk on the Moon
painting by Alan Bean

howitfelt460

View larger image

Discussion

11 comments for “Moon artist”

  • http://www.stephenbobbett.com/ Stephen

    As an artist and amateur astronomer, this was exhilarating to hear about. Looks like I’m buying a ticket to the Smithsonian!

  • Beth

    I remember listening on the radio to all this adventure at the time; we had no TV until later in 1969, then it was all grainy and snowy – but we had one! My family followed new science adventures aslmost obsessively; both parent were science/math teachers in fabulous times!

    Thanks for this cool segment. I have shared the info with folks. Wish I could go to Wash to see the exhibit. Maybe it will travel to LA or Santa Ana?

  • http://www.holtongallery.com Matt Holton

    Great story and thank you for sharing this art. He knows what he is talking about.

  • Ric Shanahan (N1YLE)

    Alan Bean was just interviewed on NPR at about 7:30 EDT 07/08/09 and he talked about incorporating small pieces of his moon dust coated patch emblems into many of his paintings. The art will live on long after we are all passed and forgotten. How great is that!

  • Tim

    Astronauts are often described as cool, calm, collected…and emotionless. Alan Bean,however, provided a wonderfully warm and touching, emotion-filled account of his experiences on the lunar surface. It’s a shame that, in 15 years or so, he and the other heroes who took us to the moon will likely have left us, with no one left to fill in their shoes. I look forward to seeing Bean’s paintings on display at the Smithsonian.

  • Marie

    An amazing amount of work! I enjoyed the interview and also viewing the beautiful paintings in Alan Bean’s gallery.
    A treasure for posterity!

  • Mark McLaughlin

    Alan Bean is not only a skillful and brave pilot who has served his country admirably but he is a delightful individual with a bright and healthy view of life who wants to share with the world what he saw, felt and experienced in space and on our moon.

  • http://www.artsnova.com Jim Plaxco

    Wonderful interview. That’s How It Felt to Walk on the Moon is my favorite Bean painting. I was fortunate to have been able to interview him many years ago. A transcript of the interview is on my web site at http://www.artsnova.com/space-artist-alan-bean.html

  • http://www.markseibold.com Mark Seibold

    Dear Lisa at The World

    I must commend you on this excellent interview with Astronaut Alan Bean and of course Mr. Alan Bean. I was hoping that the interview is available as archived online for others to listen.

    Alan Bean truly comes across as a humble and sensitive artist.

    As an artist myself of award winning astronomy art, astrophotography and teaching of astronomy, I greatly appreciated this interview.

    Thanks again,

    Mark Seibold
    Artist-Astronomer
    Portland Oregon

  • Keith B. Frederick

    Yesterday afternoon,in Boston rush hour traffic,I tuned in to national radio just in time to be delighted (and pleasantly transported from the earthly pavement underneath my car)by this wonderful interview with Alan Bean. As an artist myself, I loved hearing about an “evolved engineer type” expressing his passions through paint, canvas, and moon dust……what a delightful guy!!!![It seemed timely that as the world seems obsessed with heralding the accomplishments of an earthly moon walker,that we all had the oppurtunity to hear from a human who actually DID walk on the moon.] But for me, the real gift of the interview came in the final moments when Mr. Bean reminded us that as individuals only we can “do what’s in the heart of us” If we don’t it will never be done. Like many,I am going through a major career and life transition. His simple charge brought tears to my eyes and reminded me that all of us, if we are true to ourselves, can find our own way to the moon! Thank you!

    • Callum

      I agree with the above comment from Keith about the final moments of the interview where Mr. Bean states that if you don’t do what’s in your heart it will never be done again until time ends. I had the urge to write it down immediately afterwards.