Gold Rush 1990

John Conrad Berkey painted this illustration of an astronaut with who knows what, and when! What I see are thick strokes of blue that give way to a lighter, hopeful luminescence. I get the sense that Berkey was going for this sense of cosmic discovery, that he built the painting in layers, each one emerging and evolving into a kind of science fiction dream. Looking at this astronaut’s face, I’m wondering what he might have been thinking. Was he thinking about money? Probably not. It's more likely he was thinking about what his life might become after this discovery. I mean, just look at his expression! There’s a certain longing, or wonder, in his eyes, as if he is contemplating what will come next. The blue of the waters has this otherworldly glow, so I think of this painter guy, Berkey, as part of a larger history of painters who like to think about the future.