Moonscape

To create imaginary alien landscapes, set-designers of 1950’s science-fiction films returned to earlier forms of representation such as painted backdrops and studio sets.  The hybrid qualities of cinematic space are highlighted in these filmed paintings, with representations of the moon (soon to be visited and photographed) expressing a particular shift from imagined to documented worlds.

 ‘Moonscape’ was constructed by digitally stitching together painted backdrops from numerous films to create a rotating 360-degree panorama. 19th and 21st Century formats turn on the axis of mid 20th Century cinema. This balancing act between cutting edge and obsolete technologies has the effect of looking back to look forward. The adding of a digital layer also creates a new temporal perspective. The moon landings - no longer a future fantasy, are now part of a documented past that never lived up to the optimism of its time.