{{Short description|Sculpture}} {{about|the metal sculpture|the visual art style|Raygun Gothic}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} The '''Raygun Gothic Rocketship''' is a retro-futurist art sculpture in the shape of a giant rocketship. It was created by Bay Area artists Nathaniel Taylor, Sean Orlando, and David Shulman.
The exhibit stands 40 feet tall and weighs 13,000 pounds.<ref name="SFGovUnveilSculpture2010"/><ref name="BurningManRGRocketship"/> The ship was built with 3 walkable decks. The interior is divided into the Engine Room & Life-Sciences Bio Lab, Crew Quarters & Navigation, and the upper Flight Deck and pilot chair.<ref name="MakeZineMohammadi2010"/> The interior includes artistic details such as captured "alien specimens" and a zero gravity bed.<ref name="NASAYurisNight2010"/> Creating the rocket required the work of 85 artists, engineers, fabricators, scientists and computer engineers.<ref name="NASAYurisNight2010"/>
The creators described the art as "a future-rustic vision of yesterday’s tomorrow".<ref name="MakeZineMohammadi2010"/> A San Francisco newspaper said it "offers a retro-futuristic, highly-stylized vision of space travel".<ref name="SFGovUnveilSculpture2010"/>
The Rocket was originally created as an art installation for the 2009 Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada.<ref name="BurningManRGRocketship"/><ref name="AtlasObscuraRGRocketship"/> In 2010 it was moved and featured at a Yuri's Night celebration at NASA Ames Research Center,<ref name="NASAYurisNight2010"/> as well as a second appearance at the Bay Area Maker Faire.<ref name="MakeZineMohammadi2010"/> Later in 2010 the Rocket was moved and installed as a temporary art exhibit at Pier 14 in San Francisco.<ref name="SFGovUnveilSculpture2010"/> It remained standing in San Francisco for 14 months.<ref name="SFGovUnveilSculpture2010"/>
Today, the Rocketship is permanently installed on the site of the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, which was redeveloped in the 1990's into a new Denver, master-planned community known as the Lowry Neighborhood. The rocket sits atop a custom-built kiosk which houses the Rocket Ice Cream Shop. The Rocket installation is part of the historic Hangar 2 adaptive re-use project, which is now a retail center and is also adjacent to the historic Hangar 1, which houses the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum.<ref name="FiveTonCraneRGRocketship"/>
== References == <references>
<ref name="AtlasObscuraRGRocketship">{{cite web |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/raygun-gothic-rocket-ship |title=Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship |last= |first= |date= |website=atlasobscura.com |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
<ref name="BurningManRGRocketship">{{cite web |url=https://burningman.org/culture/burning-man-arts/civic-arts-program/rgr/ |title=Burning Man Arts – The Raygun Gothic Rocketship |last= |first= |date= |website=burningman.org |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
<ref name="SFGovUnveilSculpture2010">{{cite web |url=http://www5.sfgov.org/sf_news/2010/08/mayor-unveils-monumental-raygun-gothic-rocketship-sculpture.html |title=Mayor Unveils Monumental Raygun Gothic Rocketship Sculpture |last= |first= |date=August 9, 2010 |website=sfgov.org |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
<ref name="MakeZineMohammadi2010">{{cite web |url=https://makezine.com/2010/04/28/mfba-interview-with-raygun-gothic-r/ |title=Maker Faire: Interview with Raygun Gothic Rocketship crew |last=Mohammadi |first=Goli |date=April 28, 2010 |website=makezine.com |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
<ref name="FiveTonCraneRGRocketship">{{cite web |url=http://fivetoncrane.org/project-item/the-raygun-gothic-rocketship/ |title=Five Ton Crane – The Raygun Gothic Rocketship |last= |first= |date= |website=fivetoncrane.org |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
<ref name="NASAYurisNight2010">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/features/2010/yuris_night_art.html |title=Futuristic Rocket Lands; "Bird on Fire" Featured |last=Weselby |first=Cathy |date=March 25, 2010 |website= |publisher= |access-date=June 5, 2018 |quote=}}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * http://www.raygungothicrocket.com/
Category:Retrofuturism Category:Sculptures in Nevada Category:Burning Man Category:Outdoor sculptures in Colorado Category:Outdoor sculptures in San Francisco Category:Tourist attractions in Denver Category:Rocket sculptures