The Astronaut, known as the explorer of space and the pinnacle of human advancement and technology, is forced to explore not only the mysteries of space but of human consciousness. For artist Edwin Martinez, he believes that the human mind is as boundless as the cosmos itself and that the astronaut not only symbolizes humanity’s greatest triumphs but also its failures. In effect, the artist emphasizes that these human experiences and circumstances should also be explored, that what we feel and undergo are a part of who we are and what makes us human. In his images, the astronaut’s journey is as plain as it is grand. It is through history and everyday experiences that we feel that we are alive and breathing. It serves to represent the wheel of time that spins indefinitely, without regard for who you are and what you’ve achieved.