Carte photographique de la lune, planche VI.A (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate VI.A) Possibly 1909 - 1914

Charles Le Morvan made this photographic print of the moon, it’s called ‘Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate VI.A’—though there's no date on it, he was working in the early 20th century, a time when photography was changing everything. I can imagine Le Morvan in his darkroom, carefully developing this image, maybe even under a red light. Look at the moon's surface, this vast expanse of craters, all shades of gray and white, a stark contrast to the deep black of space. The texture is amazing! Those little circles, like tiny eyes staring back at us. Maybe he was thinking about all the secrets the moon holds. I’m reminded of Vija Celmins' drawings of the night sky—that same sense of awe and wonder, but also a kind of quiet contemplation. The way she captures light and shadow with such precision, it's like she's trying to touch the untouchable. Making a photograph is a different medium, but it's still an embodied experience. It’s a dance between technology, the artist's eye, and the subject.