Planets & Megaplanets
Inspired by the story of Apollo astronauts seeing the earth ‘hanging like a blue marble in space,’ Josh Simpson began creating his own fanciful marble-sized planets in the mid-1970s.
This early artistic exploration, combined with his intense interest in physics, cosmology, astronomical phenomena, and all things mechanical, inform and inspire his work to this day.
“In effect, the Planets act much like Persian miniatures, whose small format and richly painted micro-environments were designed to encourage contemplation in an intimate, relaxed manner. The beauty of these objects simultaneously calms and excites the eye, providing a momentary flight from the mundane that refreshes the mind.”
— Tina Oldknow
former Curator of Modern Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass
Video Gallery
Making a Megaplanet
3" Inhabited Planet Paperweight