Carte photographique de la lune, planche XV.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XV.A) Possibly 1904 - 1914

This photographic chart of the moon, plate XV.A, was made by Charles Le Morvan. Imagine Le Morvan, patiently observing the moon, adjusting his equipment, waiting for the perfect moment to capture its image. There's something profoundly human about trying to map the unknown, isn't there? I bet Le Morvan was consumed by the details of the craters, the shadows playing across the lunar surface. It’s so much more than a simple photograph. This image reminds me of how we, as artists, try to map our own inner worlds. We make marks, layer colors, scrape away surfaces, all in an attempt to understand ourselves and our place in the cosmos. Each crater in the moon is like a question, a mystery. I wonder if the artist thought about the way the moon mirrors our own world? The push and pull of the tides, the way it waxes and wanes, always changing, always the same. That’s what art’s all about really, that endless conversation across time, inspiring each other to look closer, dig deeper and dream bigger.