Contact Chris

00-009 "Lonesome Prospector"
2000, Acrylic on Illustration Board

Astronauts on Earth's moon were occasionally struck by the immensity of their surroundings, and the profound separation from the rest of humanity. On Mars, the situation will be much worse; the landscape will more closely resemble Earth's deserts, and the light speed delay will prevent any casual conversation with home. These explorers will be on their own to a large extent as they wander like the gold prospectors of old across an intimidating wilderness. Striking it rich, of course, will no longer require a golden gleam; a deposit of ice, or better yet, a simple fossil, will make this lonesome prospector happy.

Chris Butler