The Pursuit of Psyche
LACHAN MORLAN
Major: Astronomy (Physics)
Genre/Medium: Stained Glass
About the Work:
The Pursuit of Psyche is a stained glass piece that honors the scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Psyche mission, those who dedicate their lives to understanding what lies beyond our reach. Inspired by Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, this work reimagines the iconic reaching hands as a dialogue between Earth and the asteroid Psyche.
At its center, two hands extend across a fractured boundary, one emerging from Earth, the other from Psyche. Earth is depicted with vibrant blues and greens, representing life, knowledge, and humanity’s point of origin. In contrast, Psyche is rendered in shadow and deep tones, symbolizing the unknown and the mysteries of a metallic world never before explored. Suspended between them, the hands reach but do not touch, capturing the tension between what we know and what we strive to understand.
The stained glass medium reinforces this concept. Light passes through each fragment, transforming the image depending on perspective, just as scientific discovery reshapes our understanding of the universe. The fractured composition reflects how scientists piece together data, building clarity from uncertainty.
This piece is a tribute to human curiosity and ingenuity. Like the hands suspended between Earth and Psyche, scientists and engineers reach across vast distances in pursuit of knowledge. Even without contact, we continue to question, explore, and discover, defining what it means to be human.
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