Wes Hempel: Imaginary Film Stills
by Billis/Williams Gallery
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About the Book
The twelve paintings in the exhibition are imaginary film stills based on on a Science Fiction screenplay, titled Regression, supposedly developed in the 1950s. The film was never made and, to Hempel’s knowledge, none of the script survived.
As Hempel tells the story, a crew of astronauts travel to an exoplanet with a tropical Earth-like atmosphere and immediately get separated from each other when they set out to explore. Isolated, they start to rapidly grow younger. Wading in the water seems to slow the regression process. It is later revealed that the planet is a sentient life form that is purposefully regressing them as it can only communicate with minds that are free of dishonesty and aggression. By returning the astronauts to innocence, the planet hopes to establish contact. In these flights of fancy, Hempel is musing on what the film might have looked like.
As Hempel tells the story, a crew of astronauts travel to an exoplanet with a tropical Earth-like atmosphere and immediately get separated from each other when they set out to explore. Isolated, they start to rapidly grow younger. Wading in the water seems to slow the regression process. It is later revealed that the planet is a sentient life form that is purposefully regressing them as it can only communicate with minds that are free of dishonesty and aggression. By returning the astronauts to innocence, the planet hopes to establish contact. In these flights of fancy, Hempel is musing on what the film might have looked like.
Author website
Features & Details
- Primary Category: Arts & Photography Books
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Project Option: US Letter, 8.5×11 in, 22×28 cm
# of Pages: 28 - Publish Date: Nov 21, 2025
- Language English
- Keywords paintings, Hempel, Wes
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