Moon Museum
Encyclopedia
The Moon Museum is a small ceramic
wafer
three-quarters of an inch by half an inch in size, containing artworks by six prominent artists from the late 1960s. The artists with works in the "museum" are Robert Rauschenberg
, David Novros, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg
, Forrest Myers, and Andy Warhol
.
This wafer was supposedly covertly attached to a leg of the Intrepid landing module
, and subsequently left on the moon during Apollo 12
. The moon museum is considered the first Space Art object. While it is impossible to tell if the Moon Museum is actually on the moon without sending another mission to look, many other personal effects were smuggled onto the Apollo 12 lander and hidden in the layers of gold blankets that wrapped parts of the spacecraft.
. He claims the agency gave him the runaround and, Myers states, "They never said no, I just could not get them to say anything." Instead of going through the official channels he was forced to take the back route and try to smuggle it on board.
Myers contacted Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), a non-profit group that was linking artists with engineers to create new works. Through E.A.T., Myers was introduced to some scientists from Bell Laboratories, specifically Fred Waldhauer
. Using techniques normally used to produce telephone circuits, the scientists etched the drawings Myers had gathered onto small ceramic wafers. Either 16 or 20 of these wafers were created, with one going on the lunar lander and the rest, copies of the original, handed out to the artists and others involved in the project.
When NASA dithered whether the museum would be allowed onto the module, Waldhauer devised another plan. Waldhauer knew a Grumman Aircraft engineer who was working on the Apollo 12 lander module, and he proved willing to place the museum on it. Myers asked Waldhauer how he would know if the museum actually made it onto the lander, and was told that the person who worked for Grumman would send him a telegram when the wafer was in place. At 3:35 p.m. on November 12, 1969, less than two days before Apollo 12 took off, Myers received a telegram at his house from Cape Canaveral
, Florida
stating "YOUR ON' A.O.K. ALL SYSTEMS GO," and signed "JOHN F."
The existence of the work was not revealed until Myers informed The New York Times
which ran an article on the story two days after Apollo 12 left the moon and two days before they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
. To its right is a black square with thin white lines intersecting, resembling a piece of circuitry, by David Novros. Below it is John Chamberlain's contribution, a template pattern which also resembles circuitry. In the lower middle is a geometric variation on Mickey Mouse
, by Claes Oldenberg, a popular motif for the artist at that time. Myers created the work in the lower left, a computer-generated drawing of a "linked symbol" called "Interconnection". Finally, the last drawing in the upper left is by Andy Warhol
. He created a stylized version of his initials which, when viewed at certain angles, can appear as a rocket ship or a penis
. "He was being the terrible bad boy." says Myers. Warhol's work is covered up by a thumb in the image often associated with the Moon Museum, but other images with the drawing visible can be found.
Both John Chamberlain and Claes Oldenberg have confirmed through representatives that they did in fact take part in the moon museum and contributed drawings to the effort.
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
wafer
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
three-quarters of an inch by half an inch in size, containing artworks by six prominent artists from the late 1960s. The artists with works in the "museum" are Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, David Novros, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
, Forrest Myers, and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
.
This wafer was supposedly covertly attached to a leg of the Intrepid landing module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
, and subsequently left on the moon during Apollo 12
Apollo 12
Apollo 12 was the sixth manned flight in the American Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon . It was launched on November 14, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, four months after Apollo 11. Mission commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L...
. The moon museum is considered the first Space Art object. While it is impossible to tell if the Moon Museum is actually on the moon without sending another mission to look, many other personal effects were smuggled onto the Apollo 12 lander and hidden in the layers of gold blankets that wrapped parts of the spacecraft.
History
The concept for the Moon Museum was brainstormed by Forrest "Frosty" Myers. He stated that "My idea was to get six great artists together and make a tiny little museum that would be on the moon." Myers attempted several times to get his project sanctioned by NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. He claims the agency gave him the runaround and, Myers states, "They never said no, I just could not get them to say anything." Instead of going through the official channels he was forced to take the back route and try to smuggle it on board.
Myers contacted Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), a non-profit group that was linking artists with engineers to create new works. Through E.A.T., Myers was introduced to some scientists from Bell Laboratories, specifically Fred Waldhauer
Fred Waldhauer
Frederick Donald Waldhauer was an American electrical engineer known for his work in hearing aids and combining art and technology.Waldhauer was born on December 6, 1927, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, USA...
. Using techniques normally used to produce telephone circuits, the scientists etched the drawings Myers had gathered onto small ceramic wafers. Either 16 or 20 of these wafers were created, with one going on the lunar lander and the rest, copies of the original, handed out to the artists and others involved in the project.
When NASA dithered whether the museum would be allowed onto the module, Waldhauer devised another plan. Waldhauer knew a Grumman Aircraft engineer who was working on the Apollo 12 lander module, and he proved willing to place the museum on it. Myers asked Waldhauer how he would know if the museum actually made it onto the lander, and was told that the person who worked for Grumman would send him a telegram when the wafer was in place. At 3:35 p.m. on November 12, 1969, less than two days before Apollo 12 took off, Myers received a telegram at his house from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
stating "YOUR ON' A.O.K. ALL SYSTEMS GO," and signed "JOHN F."
The existence of the work was not revealed until Myers informed The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
which ran an article on the story two days after Apollo 12 left the moon and two days before they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
Artworks
There are six artworks located on the ceramic tile, each one in black and white only. Starting in the top center is a single line by Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
. To its right is a black square with thin white lines intersecting, resembling a piece of circuitry, by David Novros. Below it is John Chamberlain's contribution, a template pattern which also resembles circuitry. In the lower middle is a geometric variation on Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, by Claes Oldenberg, a popular motif for the artist at that time. Myers created the work in the lower left, a computer-generated drawing of a "linked symbol" called "Interconnection". Finally, the last drawing in the upper left is by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
. He created a stylized version of his initials which, when viewed at certain angles, can appear as a rocket ship or a penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. "He was being the terrible bad boy." says Myers. Warhol's work is covered up by a thumb in the image often associated with the Moon Museum, but other images with the drawing visible can be found.
Both John Chamberlain and Claes Oldenberg have confirmed through representatives that they did in fact take part in the moon museum and contributed drawings to the effort.
