Dr. Roberta Bondar was Canada’s first female astronaut and the world’s first neurologist to visit space. She is also globally recognized for her space medicine research, fine art nature photography, and environmental advocacy. Among these wide-ranging distinctions, Dr. Bondar is publishing a new book next month. Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight features striking photography and fascinating insights, all from Dr. Bondar’s unique interdisciplinary perspective.
TheCollector had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Bondar about her new book, which hits shelves on September 17. We also discussed her trailblazing career path, how science and art come together in her work, and the impact of photography on environmentalism. Watch the video below.
“I looked at migratory birds because they cross boundaries the way we do as astronauts—without passports, we float over boundaries….I thought it would be great to put something together to show people that life on this planet is indeed very precious. And birds teach us so much.”
Dr. Roberta Bondar: Scientist and Artist
The premise of Space for Birds by Dr. Roberta Bondar challenges any boundaries we may be tempted to place between the realms of art and science. In fact, Dr. Bondar maintains that art and science are indelibly intertwined. As both an artist and scientist, Dr. Bondar went to great lengths to create Space for Birds. She spent several years traveling across hemispheres, helicoptering over habitats, and even coordinating with the International Space Station. As a result, Space for Birds showcases an incredible range of photographic perspectives. There are personality-filled portraits of individual birds, sweeping panoramas of large flocks, and stunning bird’s-eye-views of entire migration corridors.
Get the latest articles delivered to your inbox
Sign up to our Free Weekly Newsletter
Remarkably, Space for Birds also features aerial photographs that were taken from space, some from specific coordinates that Dr. Bondar personally transmitted to the International Space Station. The resulting images are so vast and distant that they almost appear abstract, deceptively devoid of human or animal activity. In addition to demonstrating the scientific value of bird’s-eye-view and aerial photographs, Dr. Bondar asserts their aesthetic and emotional impact in Space for Birds. A new angle of a familiar subject, like a bird or the earth, obviously conveys new information. But perhaps more importantly, comparing—and collectively considering—different photographic perspectives can also reveal patterns, cultivate empathy, and inspire action.
Coming September 17: Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight
In Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight, Dr. Roberta Bondar masterfully combines scientific insight and artistic expression. Her surface, aerial, and space photographs artfully convey the lives and habitats of two threatened bird species: the Whooping Crane and the Lesser Flamingo.
Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight by Dr. Roberta Bondar, published by Figure 1 Publishing, will be available on September 17, 2024.
