ABSTRACT
The moon has long fascinated moving image artists as both a point of reference for the earth’s position in the cosmos and a vehicle for extraterrestrial flights of the imagination. This chapter examines video works inspired by the moon landings in the 1960s by David Lamelas and by Mike Leggett and Ian Breakwell in the 1970s. Next it takes a phenomenological turn reviewing Rachel Rose’s preoccupation with astronauts and their experiences of floating in deep space. The role of the moon in women’s drive to establish an autonomous cultural space in early feminist art of the 1970s is explored through works by Joan Jonas and Catherine Elwes. The early installation works of Joan Jonas and Brian Eno are seen to harness the celestial emissions of the cathode ray tube to cast a cool, spectral glow on their surroundings. The chapter ends with a meditation on the commonalities between the magnetic attractions of the moon and analogue TV sets in the mid-twentieth century. All the works discussed look back to the earth on which we were born, the lone habitable planet in our solar system whose future we hold in our hands.
