Lovell Telescope - The Secrets of our Universe.

Lovell Telescope based at Jodrell Bank Observatory, near Macclesfield in Cheshire is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It was opened in 1957 and designed by Bernard Lovell.

Our artwork celebrates the history and heritage of this majestical location whilst making subtle references to classic sci-fi stories, radio shows and movies. The picture tells a story.  What is the meaning of life?

Many of you have been asking what all the hidden references in our artwork mean, so we have finally written them down.

On the left on the picture, you will see our depiction of Dave Bowman, the astronaut from 2001 a space odyssey, sat on the bench contemplating the meaning of life.

Behind him is Devils tower from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The arm rest on the bench has an origami unicorn taken from Blade Runner, questioning reality.

The right of the picture shows the monolith, ape and bone from 2001. The story of evolution is entwined into the picture.

The sign shows evolution going backwards and a man is looking at his phone. It also plays homage to Toy Story (infinity and beyond). Instead of whispering dishes our version is disappearing wishes.

The sign above the tandem states that we shouldn’t be looking down at the phone in our insular lives but should look outward and beyond the manifestations of our physical being. The phone in the sign has a number that maybe the meaning of life (hitchhikers guide to the galaxy).

The tandem is ‘the bicycle made for two’ which is the song that plays when Hal is unplugged in 2001 A Space Odyssey. The tandem is made by Charles Husband who is the engineer who built the dish whilst Bernard Lovell designed it, both on a journey together to the same destination. The tandem also signifies the journey of evolution between ape and man. 

In the centre of the picture is a yin-yang symbol signifying the balance on the universe.

The dish antenna is influenced by Hal from 2001 a space odyssey.

The shadows on the antenna show the clock position of 8.01 pm signifying the position of the stars at 20:01 on the 1st January 2001 at Jodrell Bank.

In the bottom window you can see ET references, searching for his own existence. There are many other sci-fi hidden references around the picture including Wall-E, Yoda, and Robots. 

There are many other things to discover in the universe. 

Good luck searching.