The Museum had a lot of interesting items, although I was expecting more. I mostly walked past all the items until 1940s as I was actually looking for space-related packagings. I did manage to find a lot of them, especially for space toys, in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The 50s had a really retro vibe to them: you can tell space exploration was still science-fiction. The designs were a little more over the top and colourful. In the 60s, the toys turn to something more realistic. There were actual models of the Moon capsule, inspired by the first steps on the moon. Finally, in the 70s, the toys were still space-related but mostly inspired by Star Wars and Star Trek: they had action figures, cereal packs with Spock's face on them... 

It was interesting to see how the toys evolve, even though I didn't seem a real great evolution in the packagings. I will definitely use that research for the dollhouse package idea. I still need to make more research on dollhouses to get a better result.

I wanted to add I went to Hamleys and took some pictures of the dollhouses packages in the shop. I will probably mix the two styles together. 

Basic info for context: public information booklet published by the British government between the 70s and the 80s. It told citizens how to survive a nuclear attack. It was a booklet but also a television series. 

http://www.atomica.co.uk/main.htm

The television series would be a good inspiration for my fake ad animation idea. The episode are made with images, "maquettes" and some animation, with a voice over explaining each subject, and title cards. It focuses on giving the information to the people rather than making it look incredibly good. They gave advices to react to a nuclear attack, make a fallout shelter... I think it's really incredible that something like this was made and actually broadcasted. It really shows the atmosphere of the 70-80s. The sound is very synthesised, like the stuff you hear in old James Bond movies, and the logos are very simple, usually consisting of two colours only. The drawings are a bit more detailed but still quite simple so that the message can be understood clearly. 

Basic info for context: (1969-) American photographer who builds diomaras in order to photograph them. She is inspired by catastrophes and apocalyptic scenarios.

Website: http://www.lorinix.net

Her work is really interesting in the sense that she actually "builds" her photograph subject. She creates a whole room and an atmosphere to go with it. It's really fascinating to see her process as well and it is a good source of inspiration for my dollhouse bunker idea. Her landscapes always look quiet and calm and there is no human presence whatsoever or an explanation as to why there isn't anyone. But you get sucked into the universe anyway and I think that's what makes her work interesting. It also looks quite realistic and even better than apocalyptic landscapes made with Photoshop. There is a real sense of... touch? You can see it's actually real, even though in a sense it is still an illusion. 

Basic info for context: Danny Cooke, a UK filmmaker has taken a drone video of the current state of Chernobyl 

Website and link to video: http://www.dannycooke.co.uk/project/postcards-from-pripyat-chernobyl/

This video gives us a more "vivid" look at Chernobyl, decades after the disaster. The fact that this filmmaker has used film and not photographs like most artists who go to Chernobyl do makes this video really interesting. It makes us imagine what it would be like to walk through the city. It really you a sense of peace and quiet, mixed with some nostalgia. The use of a drone is a great idea as it gives an overall look at the city as well as focuses on smaller details. This film almost look like a trailer for a post apocalyptic movie. 

Basic info for context: (1972-) Polish photographer and filmmaker. Photographs disasters and has has a documentary made about his work (Alone in the Zone)

Website: http://www.podniesinski.pl/portal/about-me/

He has taken lots of interesting photos which are a great inspiration for anyone looking to create a dystopian world. Some of his pictures were taken in a building in the desert, abandoned and now filled with sand. The atmosphere of his photographs is strangely calming but for his Chernobyl series, it's another matter entirely. His photos look like they are from a horror movie and a really dark post apocalyptic movie. The fact that he has increased contrast and made in black and white helps a lot to give this anxious(?) ambiance and he has returned to Chernobyl three times, in the 2000s. 

Basic info for information: contemporary Malaysian photographer. photographs rather dangerous places "places people tell him not to go" (mostly on top of skyscrapers or volcanoes)

His pictures are quite impressive and look extremely apocalyptic. He wanders around in supermarkets and deserted places, wearing a mask to cover his face which makes the whole thing quite dramatic. I think the reason I find these photos fascinating is because they present an apocalyptic world but a real one. It's almost a window into what Earth would look like if most of humanity suddenly disappeared. I can also relate to these places he goes to because supermarkets or laundry rooms are part of anyone's daily life, which makes it only more frightening. It has quite a nostalgic vibe to it as we can picture people living in this city, going about their business and their daily shopping. 

Basic info for context: Tintin Objectif Lune and On a marché sur la Lune are two Belgian comic books from famous artist Hergé. The series Tintin is very famous in France and Belgium and was even made a movie four years ago. I am focusing on these two comics (the same story divided in two parts) because they were written in the fifties, a decade before Humankind actually walked on the moon.

It's interesting to see how an artist from the fifties could imagine how going to the Moon would be like. Hergé had consulted scientists to create these two comics, trying to make it realistic. A lot of aspects are correct: spacesuits, Moon's gravity, how footsteps on the moon will not be erased... but by far the most iconic element of the comic is the rocket. It does look more like a missile and its colours are unusual (inspired by V2, a rocket?).

The rocket and the spacesuits are a good source of inspiration. 

Basic info for context: contemporary concept artist from Sweden. 

Website: http://www.simonstalenhag.se

There is something completely different about Stalenhag's future. It isn't dystopian or utopian, it seems to be somewhere in the middle. What we know is that the dinosaurs are back, aliens have attacked and failed, leaving ruins of their spaceships. The society seems very similar to ours. His vision focuses on the Scandinavian countries and his landscapes are often very calm and quiet, unlike most of the concept artists'. He is not trying to be too realist in his drawing style which is also interesting. Looking at all his images you get a sense of what this future looks like and it seems peaceful and interesting. There is rarely more than two characters in his paintings and usually only one element makes us understand that this is the future. 

Basic info for context: contemporary work by Didier Madoc Jones and Robert Graves. A series of digitally modified photographs of London depicting the future of the city. 

Website: http://www.london-futures.com/the-project/

I like how the artists explored different possible versions of the future, as in "glacial London" or "Flooded London". I could actually picture these images on postcards because of the realism and the perspective of the "photographs". As someone who lives in London, I find it really interesting to see how different the city could look in a few years from now. They've explored mostly dystopian futures -related to global warming and over population- but without making them completely depressing which is a bit more hopeful. 

Last year, NASA released imaginative posters to "promote" space exploration and tourism. It is only a dream today but it is interesting to imagine how space exploration might one day be advertised. The posters went viral on Internet, probably because it sparks people's interest in science fiction. Who isn't fascinated with space? Nine artists were involved in making these fourteen posters (Joby Harris mostly) 

For the posters they used a very simple style, not trying to be realist. It looks like a mix between minimalism and retro futurism. They explore interesting themes for each planets (or asteroids), focusing on an aspect to promote "space tourism" (example: Europa is said to be covered in ice, why not explore ice caves?). 

Basic info for context: American retro futuristic artist. Illustrator for many book covers, including Ray Bradbury's work.

His artworks are mostly book covers so they are usually representing a scene and not a landscape like concept artists do. You only get a glimpse of what that future looks like and Valigursky's vision is quite dystopian for a retro-futuristic artist active from the 1960 to 1980. His images often include robots and very 50s style characters -physical perfect, the women often in position where they need rescue, and retro futuristic clothing. His illustrations are trying to tell a story, to intrigue the viewer to engage him/her. 

Basic info for context: (1920-2009) American illustrator who was known for his science fiction work during the 60s and 70s. He made books covers for science fiction books, mainly the works of Ray Bradbury, famous sci-fi author.

website: http://visualmelt.com/Dean-Ellis

His work reminds a little of John Harris's work and I think Harris might have been inspired by Ellis for his paintings. They share the same techniques: gouache and acrylics for their very similar space paintings. Like Harris, Ellis has created a lot of spaceships and strange looking buildings and landscapes. 

I really like the cities he has imagined and some of the scene he has painted really tell a story I would like to read. His work with book covers is also really interesting and retro-futuristic. It's important to note that he became known in the 60s around the time when man went to the Moon. 

Basic Info for context: (1948-) British illustrator; known for his work relating to science fiction. His paintings have been used for science fiction book covers.

Website: www.alisoneldred.com/artistJohnHarris.html

His paintings first struck me as very realistic and I think it's what makes the science fiction landscapes look so incredible. You feel sucked into that space and you can imagine a whole context around that very painting. I admire the technique as well. Most science fiction artists nowadays used digital painting but John Harris actually uses paint. 

Most of his paintings represent spaceships in space and give you a sense of feeling very small. He also created landscapes with odd futuristic buildings. The spaceships are definitely what make his work so great because of the details they have and how impressive they look.