Artists Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick were commissioned by NASA to create a photo-mosaic panoramic image based upon inspiration from pictures captured by Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.  This has spawned an entire project of amazing photography titled Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea.

The photo-montages show a Martian landscape: an alternate fantasy world based off the red planet, populated by two women in space suits who walk amongst romanesque ruins, examine historical pieces of technology, traversing the terrain and giving birth. 

The influences of Chesley Bonestell's futuristic sci-fi imagery combined with a composition style pulled straight from the Romantic paintings are strongly apparent.  This along with the narrative concepts taken from Greek & Roman mythology (Mars is named after the Roman God of War after all) and Alexandra David-Néel’s Magic and Mystery in Tibet creates a pretty amazing infusion between the physical being of this alien landscape and a somewhat spiritual reason for being.

This project captures the mystery, inspiration and (at times) disconcerting nature of Mars exploration at its most raw element.  I implore you to take a look.

Jason England