Red Planet Attack Illustration 1997

Curator: Hello. Editor: We're looking at Don Ivan Punchatz’s 1997 illustration, "Red Planet Attack," made with acrylic paint. There's this intense, almost pulpy vibe. I'm curious to hear what grabs your attention about it. Curator: What immediately strikes me is the materiality. The tangible reality of acrylic paint meticulously applied to what appears to be a board or canvas. It presents itself as a manufactured object, a constructed reality if you will, a commercial art removed from pure artistic expression. We are dealing with something intended for mass consumption. The content, the narrative, seems secondary. What do you make of the figure on the mount? Editor: Well, the rider wielding a laser sword points towards narrative elements. Do you see the choice of material diminishing this potential connection with a storyline or meaning? Curator: Not diminishing, rather reframing. Think about who Punchatz was working for and what the end purpose of the image would be: probably a book cover. Therefore, consider the artist’s relationship to a whole industry of science fiction publishing, the economics of production, the modes of representation chosen. Are these “alien” monsters any different than other fantastical tropes from literature and myth? Editor: That is fascinating, indeed! The focus shifts from some imaginative depiction to the material realities and the entire structure it belongs to! This reframes how one might view illustration. Curator: Exactly! It's about revealing the usually invisible systems of making and circulating images, the industrialization of fantasy, you could say. Editor: That definitely gives me a lot to think about when viewing "Red Planet Attack." Thanks!