Scott Listfield has spent over two decades crafting haunting visions of the future through his distinctive paintings that feature a lone astronaut navigating surreal, post-apocalyptic landscapes. The Los Angeles-based artist's work presents desolate yet breathtaking worlds where humanity's remnants are symbolized by a single space-suited figure exploring abandoned civilizations and otherworldly environments.
Listfield's artistic journey began in 1999 when he was living in a small Boston studio apartment after two years of studying and traveling abroad without finding a sense of belonging. His creative breakthrough came while watching Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" for the first time, an experience that fundamentally shaped his artistic vision. "When I watched 2001, it all fell into place," Listfield explained in an interview. "I'd take the astronauts from the fictional 21st century, and I'd place them in the real 21st century."
The recurring astronaut protagonist serves multiple symbolic purposes within Listfield's artistic framework. "The astronaut [is] a guide, a stand-in for the viewer, and a reminder that no matter how bleak things may get, how dystopian, how far off into the future I travel, there is always still a human there," the artist describes. This figure represents both the potential of human achievement and the stark reality of what humanity might fail to become, appearing consistently across every single one of his paintings to maintain narrative continuity.
Listfield's fantastical compositions feature astronauts confronting hollowed-out apartment buildings, impossibly large moons circling overhead, strange technicolor clouds, and dramatic monoliths that suggest civilization's dissolution. His 2024 work "Monolith" exemplifies this approach, depicting an astronaut surveying a vast desert with city remains in the distance, an abandoned McDonald's restaurant, a group of bison, and a massive rock bearing enigmatic inscriptions. Despite the apparent desolation, the presence of surviving wildlife and serene landscapes suggests underlying hope and possibility.
The artist views his work as both reflection and warning about contemporary society's trajectory. "We have electric doodads in our pockets with all the world's information in it. Robots are delivering food and driving taxis. Billionaires are blowing up rocket ships. People think AI is a good idea. Climate scientists are warning us about pending disasters and we are smugly ignoring them," Listfield observes. "All we're missing is an alien invasion, and this is the opening act of every science fiction movie ever."
However, Listfield emphasizes that his paintings aren't intended to promote despair but rather to encourage critical examination of current circumstances. "I make paintings about these things in part because we can still change the future," he explains. "I mean, as long as we're still in that first act." His recent works, including "The Red House" (2024), "We Who Remain" (2024), "Pink and Purple Evening" (2023), and "Cybertruck on Fire" (2025), continue exploring themes of technological advancement, environmental change, and human adaptation.
Throughout his career spanning from 2021's "Elysian" to 2025's "Golden Gate," Listfield has maintained his distinctive visual language while addressing evolving contemporary concerns. His paintings consistently balance apocalyptic imagery with subtle optimism, suggesting that even in the most challenging future scenarios, human curiosity and resilience endure. The artist's work serves as both artistic expression and social commentary, inviting viewers to consider their role in shaping tomorrow's world while there's still time to influence its direction.
