Twelve people
have walked on the moon. Only one was an explorer artist, Alan
Bean—Apollo XII astronaut, commander of Skylab II and artist. Born in
1932 in Wheeler, Texas and in 1950, Alan was selected for an NROTC
scholarship at the University of Texas at Austin. Alan was commissioned
an ensign in the United States Navy in 1955. Holder of eleven world
records in space and astronautics, Alan Bean has had a most
distinguished peacetime career. His awards include two NASA
Distinguished Service Medals, the Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal and the
Robert J. Collier Trophy. As part of the Apollo XII crew, he became the
fourth of only twelve men ever to walk on the Moon. As the spacecraft
commander of Skylab Mission II, he set a world record: 24,400,000 miles traveled during the 59-day flight.
When he wasn’t flying, Bean always enjoyed painting as a hobby.
Attending night classes at St. Mary’s College in Maryland in 1962, Alan
experimented with landscapes. During training and between missions as a
test pilot and astronaut, he continued private art lessons. On space
voyages, his artist’s eye and talent enabled him to document
impressions of the Moon and space to be preserved later on canvas. A
voracious student, Alan began to immerse himself in polishing his
talent with the same intensity he gave to his astronaut training.
Inspired by the impressionists and studying under contemporary masters,
he is a first-rate artist who is as comfortable rendering sharp realism
as he is with portraying subtle emotions through a faceless spacesuit -
but there's a bonus: As the only artist who has visited another world,
Bean paints with an authenticity and insight completely unique in the
entire history of art by creating a palette mirroring his artistic eye.
His is a personal portfolio of the golden era of space exploration as
viewed by the only artist who has BEEN there. His art reflects the
attention to detail of the aeronautical engineer, the respect for the
unknown of the astronaut and the unabashed appreciation of a skilled
explorer artist.
The space program has seen unprecedented achievements and Bean realized
that most of those who participated actively in this adventure would be
gone in forty years. He knew that if any credible artistic impressions
were to remain for future generations, he must paint them now. “My
decision to resign from NASA in 1981 was based on the fact that I am
fortunate enough to have seen sights no other artist ever has,” Bean
said, “and I hope to communicate these experiences through art.” He is
pursuing this dream at his home and studio in Houston.
Bean’s
book, Apollo: An Eyewitness Account, which chronicles his first-person
experience as an Apollo astronaut and explorer artist in words and
paintings, was received with critical and popular acclaim upon its
publication in 1998.
Limited Edition Prints
Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Prints
Click on any image for complete details and
larger image
E-Mail