In 1977, NASA opened the Computer Graphics Lab at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California with the aim of enabling scientific research for its spaceflight operations. The same year, the lab’s founding director Robert Holzman invited David Em to be the first artist in residence.

The Graphics Lab’s first project was to create a scientifically accurate 3D video of the Voyager 1 spacecraft’s upcoming mission to Jupiter and its moons. The flight was scheduled for March 1979 and the idea was to release the film to international broadcast media when the spacecraft reached its intended destination. To produce the work, Em collaborated with astrophysicists, mission engineers and other specialists.

Voyager 1’s closest approach to Jupiter took place on 5 March 1979, and the film produced by the Graphics Lab was viewed by millions of people across the globe. Three weeks later, on 26 March, Em created the work ‘Approach’.

‘Approach’ is one of Em’s earliest digital artworks to connect with a larger audience. It has been featured internationally in books, magazines, exhibitions, and many other venues. Most famously, the American jazz musician, Herbie Hancock chose it for the cover of his ground-breaking 1983 album ‘Future Shock’.

Holzman (1935-2020) was married to the American art historian and collector Patric Prince (1942-2021). ‘Approach’ was part of Prince’s collection which was acquired by the V&A in 2008, alongside her archive. ‘Approach’ hung above Holzman and Prince’s fireplace at their home in California. The stars that appear in the landscape are the result of minor damage sustained during an earthquake in 1994.