Looking at the images of Mars, the texture of forged bronze comes to my mind. Just like the surface of a forged metal, it’s a remarkable imperfect landscape that provokes a somber and full-of-wonder inspiration. There’s a feeling of mysterious possibility among the desolate cracks and ridges that’s further reinforced by the first sounds from the planet, the sounds that are like a baby’s sonogram to my mind. Full of the promise of life, but without the realization what it will be just yet.
As I view the images and hear the sounds from Mars, I’m also reminded of my friend Amy’s father David McKay who wrote the first scientific paper about possible life on Mars. And while the impact of his work is vast, the first image of him that comes to mind isn’t Mars at all. But it’s him sitting on our apartment floor, eating pizza after helping us move stuff. Within these great achievements, we are all human, and the world still moves inside the mundane parts of being human, even while great things are happening among us.
While the objective of NASA’s Perseverance mission on Mars is to search for possible signs of ancient microbial life, the images and sounds they are sharing aren’t just about science or exploration to me. No matter what they discover, there’s a connectivity that is being established. It runs through the universe, and the ability to share physical evidence of that connectivity is astounding to me.
Mars-inspired forged bronze home decor
While I’m not a scientist or have the full grasp of what NASA is doing to achieve these images and sounds, I’m inspired in my own way. So I’m collecting Mars inspired home decor that remind me of the planet.
From lamps to tables, here are a few of the forged bronze home decor pieces with the surface of Mars look.
