“In my paintings I seek to capture the beauty of science and spirit together. I find immense beauty in the radio astronomy instruments – humankind created them from refined and molded Earth with knowledge passed down through centuries from our ancestors before us, with their stone observatories and calendars. Not just antennae, but altars to curiosity. Whether we be divining the will of gods or measuring the composition of particles, observing Space is an ancient meditation.”

The Very Large Array stands on the San Agustin Plains in New Mexico. The congregation of towering antennae watch the heavens day and night, all year round. Collecting and collating information broadcast from our cosmic cradle – an extension of our human minds. The massive and, sophisticated tools of observation were constructed as a collaborative human enterprise with the aim to learn more about the universe.

“This is what moves me –What it means to be an observer. Of a painting. Of a subject. Of a universe.”

“The purpose with my paintings is: To observe us observing the universe.”

From the Earth to the horizons beyond, curiosity is one of our most admirable traits. It drives us to question, to build, and to explore. It is our intrinsic curiosity which binds us together in human fellowship, inspires us to collaborate and achieve incredible things. Witnessing the landing of Curiosity on the surface of Mars was a marvelous event, one which moved me to paint our rover explorer in celebration of a new frontier. A horizon which cradles blue sunsets and a sky which holds the shining point of light of our home – as we listen for the signals from our machine pioneers as they head towards a curious frontier.

Montes is currently exploring a multitude of digital mediums and has always loved painting. “There is a certain quality in a brush and canvas that no pixel can replicate,” she said.