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

This is Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate VI.A by Charles Le Morvan, made sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It’s a photograph, so of course, the mark-making is very different to a painting, but nonetheless, it gives a very expressive tonal range to the surface of the moon. When I look at this image, I see it as a composition of tones and textures. It’s almost like a study in greyscale. The surface is covered in craters, each one a slightly different shade, some overlapping, some separate, creating a complex pattern of light and shadow. In the top left corner, there’s this void, a solid black mass that contrasts so strongly with the textured surface. It’s like a dark curtain, framing the moon and pushing it forward. Thinking about other artists, I’m reminded of Vija Celmins, who also explored surface and texture with such intensity, and both artists share an obsession with detail. Yet, ultimately, images like this are about seeing, about how we perceive and translate the world around us. And maybe about the fact that the moon is made of cheese...