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

This is a photographic chart of the moon, plate XVI.A, made by Charles Le Morvan. It's a photograph, but it's also a map, and the process of making both is about slowly revealing something that’s already there. Look at the textured surface. It’s got this amazing craggy terrain, craters and shadows that are so carefully documented. It's about light, but it’s also about the absence of light. These tonal variations help you get a sense of its three-dimensionality. There’s one dark crater, almost a perfect circle, that feels like a concentrated point of mystery. It’s a mark that asks questions, like what else is out there, or what’s hiding just beyond what we can see? This image reminds me of Vija Celmins' drawings of the night sky and the ocean. She also used a limited palette and careful observation to create images that are both realistic and dreamlike. Like Celmins, Le Morvan invites us to contemplate the vastness of space and the limits of our own perception.