"Ouranos, Above Us Only Sky." is a 5-screen, 2-minute animation commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design - Digital Art Program at Grand Central Madison. It is set to captivate audiences on their expansive screens this summer (June 17th onwards).
Culling images from Johann Bayer’s 1603 star atlas Uranometria, Grand Central's vaulted ceiling adorned with constellations (completed in 1913), and the visionary architecture of Antonio Sant'Elia’s never-realized buildings "Città Nuova" ("New City"), and Hugh Ferriss’s The Four Stages, the piece embodies the dynamic interplay of economic and cultural forces that define civilization.
The vibrant cityscape reflects the passage of time and the crystallization of civilization, encouraging contemplation of humanity's creative prowess. These structures mirror our capacity to either create or destroy when given the Promethean fire. Infused with playfulness, vivid colors, and ever-shifting geometry, the surreal landscapes prompt introspection about our role in shaping the world and the potential outcomes of our endeavors. The title pays homage to some wonderful New Yorkers, John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky*.
Inspired by my recent studies in Praxeology and open market economic principles, this animation explores how human action, purposeful behavior, and personal accountability shape civilization. It highlights how individuals, through voluntary interactions, contribute to our collective journey by recognizing the transformative power of cooperation, the division of labor, accountability, human behavior, and open markets, impacting society's prosperity, development, and cultural growth. The animation features a skyline blending real and unrealized buildings, symbolizing the city’s essence.
Process: I began the sequence of the skyline by sourcing images from old books and online photographs. I was particularly inspired by Sant'Elia's drawings, which have influenced science fiction films like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. His drawings take shape in functional architecture illustrating a 'New City', while authoring the Manifesto of Futurist Architecture. I also incorporated renderings from Hugh Ferris's The Four Stages or “Evolution of the Set-back Building,” which are perhaps the most iconic architectural images of NYC’ in the1920s.
These images were printed, hand-colored, made into a collage, and then re-digitized. The background transitions from night to dusk, featuring natural elements such as clouds and flickering constellations that rotate across some screens, with geometric images dancing between them. The colors range from vivid yellows and blues to pinks and reds, creating an explosion of life. The constellations from Uranometria are depicted as animals or humans. Geometric elements hover around, and birds fly across the screens.
*John Lennon, Imagine, No hell below us, Above us only sky
**Atlas Uranometria Omnium Asterismorum