A Visual History of the Future: DVD Extras
Our favorite images that didn’t make it into the main series
A Visual History of the Future: Afterword
Many 20th-century artists who visualized the future are largely unknown today—but their ideas have lasting impact
A Visual History of the Future: Episode 5
Could fantastical plans for the cities of tomorrow solve the real problems of urban life?
A Visual History of the Future: Episode 4
Walt Disney had a vision for tomorrow—and the means to sell it
A Visual History of the Future: Episode 3
In the 20th century, publishers blended education and entertainment to satisfy a science-curious public
A Visual History of the Future: Episode 2
Post-war artists sold us a vision of a luxurious, automated suburban lifestyle
Skies full of personal flying vehicles, robotic servants, and mail carriers with jetpacks. Decades ago, artists’ imaginings formed high expectations about the world to come. Were these just fantasies — or was it the work of pioneers whose visions of the future actually helped to shape it?
“A Visual History of the Future” will explore how imagery in advertising, magazines, and other media has been used to inspire, sell, and build our ideas of the future. We’ll look at everything from the home to infrastructure to the cities we live in — at ideas that ranged from the insightful to…
A Visual History of the Future: Episode 1
In the 19th century, rapid technological change was the catalyst for artists to start visualizing the future
Skies full of personal flying vehicles, robotic servants, and mail carriers with jetpacks. Decades ago, artists’ imaginings formed high expectations about the world to come. Were these just fantasies—or was it the work of pioneers whose visions of the future actually helped to shape it?
A few years ago, Next editor Duncan Geere and I were thinking about how to illustrate an article. We had a general concept for it: a futuristic class of pupils learning how their ancestors used archaic sources of fuel in the 21st century, while out a window clean energy powered a utopian city.
In 1966 Norman Rockwell really needed a spacesuit — and NASA didn’t want to give him one. The space agency had hired the artist to visualize the Moon landing long before it would actually happen. To do that Rockwell needed to know what the astronauts would be wearing. He needed details. For him, telling the big story meant looking at the subtle facets that compose the whole. However, with the intense secrecy surrounding the mission, the answer to his request kept coming back the same. Denied.
For Rockwell, who was used to laboring over a painting for weeks or months…
Darren Garrett
BAFTA-winning creative director for digital things, games, animation & storytelling in general. Part of team https://howwegettonext.com & http://i-love-hue.com
