Don Davis: Space Art & Humanity’s Future

In this conversation, we talk with Don Davis, an artist and illustrator who has spent his career helping us imagine the wonders of space. His work with NASA, Carl Sagan, and the U. S. Geological Survey's branch of Astrogeologic Studies has been seen by millions and helps us bridge the gap between imagination and reality. In this conversation, we talk about Don's childhood fascination with space, the influence of science fiction on his work, and how the ideas around space colonization evolved. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:09 Reflecting on historical parallels between Apollo 11. 05:52 Fascination with space exploration during childhood. 08:14 Joining the USGS 12:04 Moon Paintings 15:41 Meeting Carl Sagan 19:35 Relationship between knowledge and art 22:36 Dinosaur reconstruction 28:49 Mars visions and von Braun 31:39 Painting Space Settlements 37:04 Future of rocketry 42:33 2001: A Space Odyssey 44:24 Willie Lay and,"Engineer's Dreams" 52:23 What's next for Don 52:51 Quote from "Shape of Things to Come" Links Don Davis — Space Art Thanks for listening to this episode of the Build the Future Podcast. This is a project by World's Fair Co. You can learn more at worldsfair.org.