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The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series
The Dot Series

The Dot Series

From $449.00 | Part of the The Signature Collection

Midcentury Modern Astronomy Wood Wall Art Triptych - Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot, William Ander's Earthrise, and a Solar System Scale Representation

  • Iconic astronomy imagery in walnut, maple & Baltic birch — Pale Blue Dot, Earthrise, & the solar system
  • Hand-inlaid maple & edge-grain Baltic birch on a walnut canvas — Earth marked in quiet blue across all three pieces
  • Available individually or as a triptych — each piece ships with a postcard carrying a corresponding quote
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Choose Piece

Handcrafted to order in Minneapolis — ships in ~12 weeks (as of 07/13/2026). .

Lead Times

The truth is, good furniture takes time.

Every Relic Modern™  piece is built by me, start to finish, in my Minneapolis studio — no warehouse, no assembly line. I select and mill the lumber, join, sand, and finish each piece by hand. That care takes time, but it's also why the wait exists: it's the difference between something pulled off a shelf and something built for you, by hand, meant to last generations.

Relic Modern Store Reviews

Amazing! From the ordering process to delivery, everything was perfect. And boy, do they look good!
Jake D.
If you're reading reviews trying to talk yourself in to a purchase, take this as your sign to just do it. You won't be disappointed.
J.G.
Justin's work is beautiful and he is great to work with.
Greg L.

More information

About this Piece

Three minimalist wood wall hangings render iconic moments from astronomy at a contemplative scale — Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, Apollo 8’s Earthrise, and the structure of the solar system, each rendered in walnut, maple, and Baltic birch. Earth is always marked in a quiet blue, the one constant element across the three pieces. Available individually or as a triptych. Each piece ships with a postcard carrying the quote that inspired it.

The Dot or, The Calming Acceptance of Insignificance

Where do we fit in a universe this vast? What does it mean to exist — briefly, quietly — on a planet that barely registers on the cosmic scale?

These questions led me to The Dot, a three-part series influenced by the words of Carl Sagan. The work explores the tension between our planet’s smallness and the deep meaning we find in being here at all — a central paradox: we are almost nothing, and somehow everything.

The Sunbeam

The Sunbeam draws from the 1990 Pale Blue Dot photograph, taken by Voyager 1 from nearly 4 billion miles away. Earth appears as a pixel in a shaft of sunlight — almost invisible. I reinterpreted that moment with three Baltic birch inlaid rays of light crossing a nearly hidden blue dot, easy to miss. A reminder of how fragile and fleeting our presence really is.

The System

The System zooms out further — a scaled abstraction of our solar system. The sun and planets are rendered as proportionally sized inlaid circles, arranged vertically. Earth, again marked in blue, is one quiet part of the whole. At the top sits Pluto, a small black dot. No longer a planet, but still here — a reminder that even reclassified things hold meaning.

The Earthrise

The Earthrise references the photo taken in 1968 by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders — the first time humans saw our planet rising above another world. A soft blue arc lifts over a layered wood lunar horizon, set against uninterrupted walnut grain. Stillness, and the awe of seeing our planet from the outside: small, delicate, whole.

Across the series is Earth — whether as a dot in sunlight, a speck among planets, or a rising orb - the view changes; the presence endures.

We are 26,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way. One of billions of worlds. And yet, here we are — living, connecting, building, grieving, creating.

American Made · Ships Free

Dimensions

Per piece:

  • 30"H × 20"W × 1-¼"D, approximately 15 lbs

Hanging:

  • Hangs vertically — 30"H × 20"W orientation
  • Two D-ring hooks on the back secure picture-hanging wire spanning the width

Triptych wall layout:

  • Three pieces hung side-by-side, 2–4" between each piece
  • Approximate total width: 64"–68"
Materials

Built from 1-¼" of layered Baltic birch with a walnut face, with hand-inlaid maple and edge-grain Baltic birch elements. The layered Baltic birch edges are left exposed as a signature detail. The back is recessed in the center, allowing the D-rings, wire, and wall hardware to sit within the recess so the piece hangs flush against the wall.

(01) Wood: 1-¼" Baltic birch (24 layers) with walnut face, solid maple inlay, and edge-grain Baltic birch inlay

(02) Finish: pure tung oil, boiled linseed oil, beeswax, carnauba wax — a durable, water-resistant matte finish that feels like silky-smooth wood

(03) Edge-Grain Baltic Birch: 13 thin layers of birch are glued together, with the grain alternating in direction, to create sheets that make it more stable than solid wood. On most Relic Modern™ pieces, a single sheet is cut flat — the walnut or maple face you see on a nightstand, a media console, an end table. An edge-grain piece is built differently: multiple sheets are laminated together and then cut and turned on their side, so the 13-layer stripes run through the wood and appear on every face of the piece. On a sculpture like the Robin or the Heron, you see the stripes on the front, the back, and the sides — the same layered pattern wrapping the whole form. At the fullest expression of the technique — the Entryway Bench — it’s nearly 300 layers laminated and rotated, every face of the piece showing the same layered wood. The same material, taken as far as it can go.

Product FAQ

(01) Can I buy just one? Yes. The pieces sell individually as The Sunbeam, The System, or The Earthrise — or as a triptych of all three. Each piece works on its own; the set works as a wall-spanning composition.

(02) How do I hang this piece? Two D-ring hooks on the back secure picture-hanging wire spanning the width. For hanging from a wall stud or solid backing, use a single anchor point. For drywall or plaster — where a single anchor has less to grip — use two evenly spaced wall anchors rated for the piece’s weight, hung level with the wire so the load is distributed across both.

(03) How long does shipping take? Current lead time is listed in the box above the Add to Cart button. See Shipping, Pickup & Returns for details.

(04) Will the wood color change over time? Yes. The walnut face will deepen and take on warmer, reddish tones over the first year or two. This is a natural characteristic of the species and part of what makes the piece feel alive. The hand-rubbed oil and wax finish supports this patina rather than sealing it off.

(05) How do I care for this piece? A damp cloth is all that’s needed for cleaning — no furniture polishes. The piece can be refreshed with a bit of furniture wax when it feels dry. Additional details are on the FAQ page.

Meet Justin

The Maker Behind Every Piece

Real Furniture,Made by Real Hands

I build every piece by hand in my Minneapolis workshop — one maker, one standard, no shortcuts. While big-box stores fill warehouses with particle board and mass-produced templates, Relic Modern™ starts with real, high-quality wood and ends with something built to last. Some things are worth buying from a real person.

Original Designs
Stale, Recycled Templates
Hand-Built Craftsmanship
Factory Assembly Lines
Real, High-Quality Wood
Particle Board & Cheap Fillers
Built to Last a Lifetime
Disposable by Design

Mid-century modern isn't a trend — it's a discipline. Clean lines, reasonable proportions, and modest, organic shapes. At Relic Modern™, that means stripping every design down to its essential form and building it from high-quality Baltic birch with walnut or maple faces, finished with a hand-rubbed oil and wax blend that lets the wood speak for itself.

From customer homes

three wood wall hangings with earth in blue staged with downlight in a green den or sitting room above a fireplace and grand piano

2205 California St NE, Suite 123, Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 300-1950 | justin@relicmodern.com

Showroom Hours

Tues/Wed: by appointment
Thurs/Fri: 12-4
Sat: 11-2
Sun/Mon: Closed

Closed July 16-18, August 6-8, Sept 5, 12 and 24-26

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