Stargate Tribute

by CandiceHope

Science tells us faster than light travel is not possible. The laws of nature are unforgiving, they do not care about our aspirations to conquer the stars. Yet Einstein’s general theory of relativity suggests a possible work-around: wormholes. A wormhole is a hypothetical structure connecting two points in spacetime.

A simple way to imagine a wormhole is to take a sheet of paper and draw two points on it. The sheet of paper represents our universe. Normally we would travel along the sheet of paper from one point to the other, bound by the speed of light. Creating a wormhole would be equivalent to folding the paper so the two points are touching. In this way, a shortcut is formed and we can travel instantly from one point to the other without breaking nature’s universal speed limit.

Wormholes are consistent with theory, but whether they actually exist remains to be seen. That hasn’t prevented modern science fiction to feature them prominently. A notable example was the Stargate franchise. Talented builder CandiceHope decided to create her own tribute to sci-fi wormhole travel:

The Stargate motif is clearly evident in Candice’s work, mixed in with other influences to create her own unique universe. The iconic chevrons that play such a prominent role in the Stargate universe glow along the rim of the activated gate, beckoning the courageous to step through.

One of Candice’s many sources of inspiration is her friend Lady Dragonne, a fan of Swiss artist H.R. Giger. His style is most evident in the demonic train that thunders through a fiery tunnel on some hellish world that hides behind one gate. While science may offer us a way to travel to the unimaginable, one might be wise to step carefully!

Hans Ruedi Giger was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as biomechanical. Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, markers and ink. He was perhaps the best known sufferer of night terrors and his paintings are all to some extent inspired by his experiences with that particular sleep disorder.

Giger’s most famous book, Necronomicon, published in 1977, served as the visual inspiration for director Ridley Scott’s film Alien, Giger’s first high-profile film assignment, which earned him the 1980 Oscar for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his designs of the film’s title character.

Giger is recognised as one of the world’s foremost artists of Fantastic Realism. His work is on permanent display at the H.R. Giger Museum.