Art, Aliens and the Machine

With the assumption that the extraordinary discoveries being made in planetary science will soon trigger a conviction of the likelihood of contact with sentient extraterrestrial beings—and with the further realization that such beings may well depend upon our visual arts as their primary point of reference in respect to our own species—this short paper uses an imaginative approach to develop some corollary ideas, and, in addition, to throw a spotlight on pioneering “systems art” theorist and visionary cosmic citizen Jack Burnham.