Celestial Bodies

2022

This project centred on cyclical movement through time as I explored Halley’s comet. Returning to our skies every 75-76 years, this celestial object has provoked fear and fascination in humans for hundreds of years. I was interested in exploring how different generations have captured the comet’s passing and related to its presence in art and science, in line with technological developments of the time. The power and mystery of Halley’s comet (as well as all celestial objects) continues to intrigue us, and we mark its flight in visual, verbal and physical memorabilia.

This art-historical and astronomical research was interwoven with reading about contemporary dance to mark parallels between how bodies can move through spaces and through time. The resulting prints are an exploration in printing variation and colour combinations, presented in a concertina book to guide the reader through an abstracted flight of the comet. Halley’s comet is not due to return until 2061, so I wanted to question what it might be doing now, while invisible in our skies.