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SFX MAGAZINE BLOG: The art and philosophy of Star Trek and Stargate
What is the philosophical value of science fiction? Blogger Kell Harker talks to artist Martin Firrell about his new Sci Fi Series project
“Chewy” is the adjective that artist Martin Firrell chooses when he’s asked to describe his Sci Fi Series project in just one word. Using his privileged position as an artist and his interest in science fiction and portraiture, Martin has been interviewing some of the best-loved characters from popular American television science fiction for this project; an investigation into the value that sci-fi has in our lives.
Featured on his official website, Martin gives us glimpses of his work in progress with Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis), Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13), Ben Browder (Farscape, Stargate SG1), David Nykl (Stargate Atlantis), Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek Voyager), and Nathan Fillion (Firefly).
Whoa. Excited and intrigued to learn more about the Sci Fi Series I humbly approached Martin for an interview and he generously granted one...
... For those who are not familiar with your new project, can you explain what your Sci Fi Series is about?
Martin: “The Sci Fi Series will present social comment, and philosophical truths about living well, derived from observation of popular American television science fiction. It allows me to explore my growing interest in portraiture (of the actors who have created some of the most well-known and best-loved characters in the genre) and my belief that it is popular culture, rather than high culture that will shape our beliefs in the 21st century.”
“I see this work as an evolution of Complete Hero, the work I made as Public Artist in Residence with the Household Division of the British Army in 2009. In that work I made my first experiments with video portraiture and it was also my first departure from works based purely on text. Incidentally, Nathan Fillion (Mal Reynolds, Firefly) was the first person I interviewed for Complete Hero, so the origins of the Sci Fi Series can be traced back to him. He and I have discussed this, and the fact that Nathan has, and continues to be, my muse.”
“Through all of my work, you can see my interest in art as an agent of positive change and an active force for good in people’s lives. I believe that art should be useful and it should be for everyone. So whilst the Sci Fi Series project may look a little different from my earlier works, it shares this founding belief with them...”
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