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The Optimist Behind Blade Runner's Dystopia episode artwork

Apr 23, 2025 36 min

The Optimist Behind Blade Runner's Dystopia

from Imaginary Worlds Hosted by Eric Molinsky | Daylight Media

The late Syd Mead was a visual futurist who was hired to imagine the worlds of Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens, Elysium and other sci-fi films. His work in Hollywood has been lauded for decades, but there’s a new exhibit in New York that shows a different side of the artist. Syd Mead: Future Pastime is a collection of his personal and commercial paintings, which are all works of science fiction. Despite his connection to the dystopian world of Blade Runner, Mead’s personal vision of the future was unwaveringly optimistic. I talk with Mead’s husband and business partner Roger Servick, and the curators of the exhibit, Elon Solo and William Corman, about Mead’s predictions for the future of technology, sexuality and spirituality. (Image courtesy of Syd Mead Inc.) This week’s episode is sponsored by ShipStation and Hims Get your free online visit at hims.com/IMAGINARY.

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The Optimist Behind Blade Runner's Dystopia

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