"Study for Messier 17" by Jan Pieter Fokkens

The colorful paintings of Jan Pieter Fokkens transport us to distant worlds beyond our comprehension. Within seemingly infinite networks of lines, dots, and crosses, he decodes the recognizable to create something unfamiliar.

Each work begins with a colorized photo captured by a deep-space telescope. With the aid of custom algorithms, Fokkens manipulates the “fake pixels” of these images, isolating qualities of pattern and color. He then hand-paints these abstracted qualities as intersecting lines of color, reconstructing the sense of longing and wonder one feels when they look out at the stars.

Entitled "Study for Messier 17," this painting explores the spectacular star-forming region Messier 17, also known as the Omega Nebula or Swan Nebula. A vast region of gas, dust and hot young stars, Messier 17 lies in the heart of the Milky Way, tucked within the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer).

Acrylic on paper. Framed.