“The nearest thing to an artist-in-residence from outer space.” That’s how Isaac Asimov once described Robert T. McCall, the renowned illustrator, conceptual artist, space-scene painter, official NASA artist, and creator of legendary movie posters including 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The third piece of our series featuring the most famous aerospace artists, beginning with Attila Héjja and Paul Fjeld, is dedicated to probably the famous space artist: Bob McCall. His work can be found on US postage stamps NASA mission patches. He created concept art for several NASA programs and illustrations for magazines depicting man’s conquest in space. His murals can be found on the walls of the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, The Pentagon, Epcot and Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
But, in the unlikely case you missed the oeuvre of his prolific career, there’s one artwork you’ve definitely seen: McCall painted the iconic movie posters for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. He passed away five years ago, on February 26, 2010 at the age of 90.
Moon base
Source: LIFE, Sept 28, 1959
Docking Port Space City (Space Station 2000), circa 1960s.
Source: Heritage Auctions
America’s hottest jet
Source: Popular Science, May 1962
The hottest ship in the world
Source: Popular Science, July 1962
Illustration of the two Soviet capsules — Vostok 3 and 4 — in orbit as sun rises over the Earth
Source: LIFE, Aug 24, 1962
Gemini 4, c1966.
Source: Heritage Auctions
The XB-70 tragedy
Source: LIFE, Nov 11, 1966
Apollo 8 Coming Home, 1969.
Source: mccallstudios.com
Promotional paintings for 2001: A Space Odyssey (MGM, 1968).
Source: Heritage Auctions
Movie posters
Source: Heritage Auctions
Robert McCall holds a sheet of postage stamps commemorating the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission.
Source: NASA
Blast Off, 1973.
Source: Heritage Auctions
Lunar Landing, 1973.
Source: Heritage Auctions
Handshake in Space, 1974. This painting depicts the historic docking of American and Soviet spacecraft during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project of July 1975.
Source: NASA
Earth Orbit 98, 1977
Source: Heritage Auctions
Building a Space Station, c1979.
Source: NASA
Shuttles, Stations, and Spacewalkers, 1979. On display in the auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Source: NASA
Launch of STS-7, 1983. The first American mission to have a female astronaut, the seventh space shuttle mission, and the second mission for the Space Shuttle Challenger.
Source: NASA
Space Shuttle, 1995.
Source: Heritage Auctions
1997: NASA history panorama that hangs in the Virginia Air and Space Center.
Source: NASA Langley Research Center
Robert McCall, working on his painting titled Opening the Space Frontier, The Next Giant Step
Source: NASA
Opening the Space Frontier, The Next Giant Step — on display at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Source: NASA
Aeronautics Icons, a mural at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, showcases a host of experimental aircraft.
Source: NASA
Spaceflight
Source: Heritage Auctions
Take Off
Source: Heritage Auctions
Six of the mission patches designed by McCall (first row: Apollo 17, ASTP, STS-71, second row: STS-1, STS-3, STS-41B)
Source: NASA