Chesley Bonestell was a major space artist, if not the founder of the movement, who lived between 1888 and 1986. He worked with people such as Willy Ley, Wernher von Braun and George Pal, just to name just a few. His paintings of spaceships and planetary scenes were of an astounding and inspirational value which helped to catapult ideas from the minds of people to the drawing board of real world engineering and future visions. Today, the interstellar community has its own Chesley Bonestell. Although he too is a painter, the work that he creates is mainly achieved through the click of a mouse using sophisticated computer software. He is fast gaining a reputation for turning the visions of pioneers into real world engineering schematics and it is hoped eventual realisation. His name is Adrian Mann.
Adrian has been working with many space organisations and people for some years now. To name some examples of companies this includes Reaction Engines Ltd, The British Interplanetary Society, Icarus Interstellar, Tau Zero Foundation and Stellar Engines Ltd. To name some example of people he has worked closely with in the lending of his images this includes Bob Parkinson, Mark Stewart, Bob Zubrin, Kelvin Long, Paul Gilster, Alan Bond and Richard Obousy. Adrian is one of those unsung heroes of our subject. He asks for no praise, only delight in the visions that he produces. He is a man of the upmost humility, but with exemplary talent. It is quite likely that in decades from now, historians of the future will look back on this transition period in history and identify Adrian Mann as the modern space artist that helped to communicate the visions of space to the public. Rather than ramble further, let’s just marvel at some of his amazing work.
