Although its narrative is decidedly petroleum centric, the entire Universe of Energy pavilion itself stands in tribute the Sun. Everything from its shape to its position and even its color scheme reinforces the theme of power from the sun.
Perhaps the most impressive and powerful example of Energy’s theme is the magnificent mural that welcomes us into the pavilion. This stunning piece of art is (in many ways) a perfect blending of art, science and technology. Executed in an Old World mosaic style that prophetically foreshadows 8-bit computer image design, the mural is a depiction of our Sun as seen through the lens of thermographic camera. But far from a merely scientific representation this mural subtly illustrates both our scale and relationship to our mother star. For just outside the reach of its deadly rays, the Earth, as represented by the infinitesimally small white dot on the far right, demonstrates its perfectly positioned orbit that simultaneously protects us and allows us to thrive on its power.
Designer’s Note: This desktop holds the record for the longest gestation period of any of E82’s projects. Initially began in March of 2010, the mural was completely documented in vector form piece with the aid of over 30 source photos resulting in an over 99% accurate re-creation in digital space. The mural was completed several months later, but due its complexity and narrow aspect ratio the asset sat unused for 2 years afterward.
In no way a definitive depiction its just today’s best efforts to display what is a very wide mural in a (still wide but nevertheless) much more narrow canvas.
If anyone is interested in a close-up (Texture Series edition) of this mural please let me know.