Star Trek has been part of the cultural lexicon for half a century now, and back in 2016, “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years,” made its debut at San Diego Comic-Con. The show, which showcased 50 international artists including Leonard Nimoy, gained international acclaim with over 100,000 fans attending the exhibition during 11 stops through North America, Europe and the Middle East. Now, original works of art featured in the exhibition will be offered to fans for the first time in Heritage Auctions’ Entertainment & Movie Memorabilia Auction on April 15.
According to Giles Moon of Heritage Auctions, “this is the first time a body of work like this has ever been offered at auction at one time. The artworks are marvelous and truly capture how Star Trek’s television programs and films have influenced generations of artists around the world.” The exhibit’s fine art paintings, sculptures, and photography in the auction include the following:
Nimoy’s photograph titled “Hand In Vulcan Gesture.” Nimoy’s piece is an eerie depiction of Mr. Spock’s Vulcan salute in multi-color. The artwork is particularly poignant as it was contributed only months before his passing.
“The Final Frontier”, an oil on canvas, by Australian Nicky Barkla, that captures the steadfast courage of the crew from the television hit Star Trek: The Next Generation
“Assimilation,” a lighted mixed media sculpture, by Neal Smith, a toy designer for Mattel’s Team Hot Wheels. Smith’s piece represents the starship used by the series’ Borg Collective, but with closer inspection is almost entirely constructed of “assimilated” Hot Wheels toy cars.
“Make it So,” a large scale oil on panel by U.K. artist Paul Oz, employs thick, energetic marks for an up-close portrait of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by actor Patrick Stewart on television and in feature films for 15 years. The artwork title references one of the beloved character’s most quotable lines.
Illustrations paying tribute to the franchise’s fan-favorite characters include works by artists like Stanley Chow, an illustrator who is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, who creates an ode to everyone’s favorite Vulcan with “Teleportation of Mr. Spock.” Also included is Patrick Connan, a French art director and movie poster artist, contributing an encapsulating image of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, titled “Revenge Is A Dish That Is Best Served Cold,” produced on aluminum. Amy Beth Christensen, a Senior Concept Designer at Lucasfilm Animation, presents “Don’t Believe In No-Win Scenarios,” a portrait gallery of villains and heroes. You can check out images of these pieces down below in our gallery.
For more information on the Heritage Auction “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years,”, be sure to click here.
What do you think of these amazing pieces paying tribute to Gene Rodennberry’s enduring vision of the future? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
Images: CBS / Paramount Pictures / Heritage Auctions
More Star Trek? We’ve Got That:
- The most essential Deep Space Nine episodes.
- You probably won’t want a ships-only cut of Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek.
- The history of the mirror universe.
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