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Pearl in the Night Sky: Reflections on the Moon in Art and Poetry
on view October 14, 2023 – April 7, 2024

Here, against the black night sky, only faint, scattered gestures suggest the heaviness of a low-slung moon sagging over a field of wheat or grass. With great effect, the artist evokes the striking sensation that the moon, when viewed near the horizon, suddenly appears much larger from one evening to the next. Yet, whether set against the Sandia Mountains or perched over a yawning ocean, the moon is always the same size. It is only in our mind’s eye that this illusion takes place—a trick of perception. In this way, the gauzy, scattered texture of the image seen here reminds us that while our perceptions may seem at times solid and true, they may be as fleeting and insubstantial as the moonlight itself.