Award-winning futurist artist to speak and present work at CCU

“Progressions,” an exhibition by the award-winning futuristic concept artist Syd Mead will be on display from Aug. 18 until Oct. 18 in the Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery at Coastal Carolina University. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Mead will present a lecture on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 2 p.m. in the Edwards Recital Hall during which he will explain the inspiration behind his projects, his art career and his work with major feature films. Later that day, he will introduce his work at the exhibition opening reception at 4:30 p.m. The lecture is also open to the public.

This exhibition will display more than 50 years of Mead’s artwork ranging from his academic years to his most recent works. His newest painting “Shoulder of Orion” will premiere, along with many other works that exemplify his ability to take today’s vehicle models and create futuristic visions for the future.

Mead has earned the title “Visual Futurist” for his designs in feature films such as “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Bladerunner,” “TRON,” “Mission Impossible 3,” “Time Cop,” “Aliens” and others. He likes to work in transportation design, specifically creating concept art for vehicles such as solar powered unicycles, show cars, interplanetary space crafts and more. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his work.

Unlike other artists, Mead will display some progression drawings of the various stages some of his artwork went through before the final piece.

Mead graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. He began his career traveling the world to illustrate books, catalogues and product design for corporate entities. Mead has also done work for Japanese companies such as Sony, Minolta, Dentsu, Honda and more.

The “Syd Mead: Progressions” exhibition has opened in Glendale, Calif., in 2012 and has since travelled to New York City, Detroit, Mich., Grand Rapids, Mich. and Fort Collins, Colo., with future planned venues in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The Bryan Art Gallery is located in room 129 of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts at 133 Chanticleer Drive E. on CCU’s campus, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information, contact James Arendt, gallery director, at 843-349-6454 or at jarendt@coastal.edu