Space Mama

This striking artwork features a close-up of an astronaut's face, enveloped in the reflective visor of their helmet. The backdrop is an ethereal blend of deep blues, cosmic blacks, and soft whites that evoke a sense of the infinite space beyond. In the distance, a rocket is launching, leaving behind a trail of luminous light, symbolizing humanity's quest for exploration and the unknown. Surrounding the astronaut are abstract representations of human figures and spacecraft, enhancing the sense of movement and dynamic energy. The contrasting elements of serenity in the astronaut's face and the chaotic beauty of space create a captivating visual narrative.
This painting would be an exceptional addition to modern living spaces, home offices, or creative studios. Its cosmic theme can serve as a focal point in a room, inspiring imagination and reflecting a passion for exploration. Placing it above a sleek desk or in a cozy reading nook can stimulate thought and conversation, while complementing a contemporary or industrial design aesthetic.

Eight months pregnant, Anna Fischer was given the news that she had been chosen to become one of the first female astronauts. In 1984, just three days after the birth of her daughter, training began. She worked hard to prove she could manage motherhood and work full time. She wore baggy t-shirts and trousers and no make-up or jewellery, so as not to make the wives jealous. While on duty at Capcom, astronauts had to stay on the radio for however long the connection held. Anna would sit for 10 hours at a time, only when the connection was lost running to the restroom to pump milk for her nursing baby at home. Anna was in space for a total of 8 days with no contact to her family, there not being any way of communicating from the shuttle at that time. Typically, a space shuttle will display one star for each of the astronauts on board. Anna’s space shuttle STS-51A wore 6 stars, in honor of Anna’s baby. An inspiration to millions of women and girls throughout the nation, she received numerous letters and autogram requests from little girls. It would be her great honor to one day train some of them to be astronauts themselves. Anna’s daughter never felt neglected, but rather inspired to reach to great heights herself and proud of her mother, the first mother ever in space. After the birth of Anna’s second child, she took a 7 year leave of absence to raise her children. She returned to Nasa, training astronauts and engineering new equipment, and after her recent retirement can look back at the longest career of any astronaut, man or woman. | This oil painting was created for the exhibition "FEMMOBILITY -- What do dreams know of boundaries? Dynamic woman: groundbreaking past, present and future." in cooperation with Wiener Linien (Vienna Public Transportation) 2022.