2022 Holiday Catalogue

"The moon pictures began with a “Fresh Air” interview about Jesuit astronomers. Who knew there were, and continue to be, priest astronomers! I was interested in how they reconcile their faith in God with the vastness of space and humankind’s place in the universe.

I was initially interested in these priest/astronomers because of Galileo. I made a large orange drawing based on Galileo’s observations of Jupiter’s moon, observations that eventually got Galileo imprisoned by the church after he foolishly published his findings.

Additionally, these observations were done with a cutting-edge new technology for the time—a telescope! It allowed the human eye a magnified and extended reach. I see parallels with our contemporary computers—a device that extends our human capabilities.

My first moon piece was a Kircher Moon. Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) was a Jesuit priest and polymath who published an astonishing 40 books in his Medieval lifetime. He is a total delight to read about–let’s just say everything he published is charmingly inaccurate, including his moon diagram. He thought the moon had water on it, hence names like the “Sea of Tranquility” (where the first man mission landed)."

–Robert Ruello

Demetrius Oliver's "Orbs" shows a moon globe covered with round lightbulbs. Orbs on orbs. A simple, yet mysterious tableau, eliciting wonder. Oliver remarks: Ancient astronomers thought the moon contained oceans, which is why they named portions of it “mare.”  

Now we know that at some point in its 4 billion year history, the moon did in fact contain water.

Science and wonder.

Darren Waterston employs gouache, watercolor and sometimes ink, to create shimmering layered works on paper that rival his panel paintings for richness and sensuality.