In August 2022, astrophotographers Andrew McCarthy and Connor Matherne posted to Instagram what is widely considered to be the best photo of the moon ever taken. On Nov. 1, 2024, artist Ariel C. Wilson displayed a collection of some of the worst.
In her exhibit at the Sanitary Tortilla Factory in Albuquerque, Wilson showcases crowdsourced “bad photos of the moon” — low-quality images of the moon taken on cell phones by ordinary citizens.
The gallery’s website explains that the exhibit is meant to explore the blur between professional and amateur artists, as well as investigate human relationships with photography, permanence and the moon.
“Photographs inherently compress, reduce, and abstract their subjects,” the website reads. “The moon resists capture, often appearing as an oblong spot in the field of black, or a tiny spec in an expansive blue sky. Despite our predictable failure, we can’t help but keep trying.”
Wilson explained that the project has been many years in the making, having started during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“I was falling in love, and I was trying to find a way to communicate with my now-partner and didn’t really know what to say,” Wilson said. “I felt this urge to send a photo of the moon, and I think I sent a text with that photo that said ‘The moon’s impossible to photograph, but I tried anyway.’”
The exhibit also investigates the futility of trying to capture and hold onto certain ephemeral things, such as relationships and the moon, Wilson said.
“It’s an opportunity to talk about the failure of photography and the importance of lived experience,” Wilson said.
The exhibit also explores why humans feel the need to photograph the moon, despite the inevitable disappointing results.
“But we try anyway,” Wilson said. “I had a feeling that all these people I knew, both photographers and friends, were probably doing the same thing. And there was this opportunity to connect with other people during a time where connection was really challenging.”
Wilson put out a call on social media for moon photos and received over 300 within the first month. The collection now includes over 1,000 submissions.
“We would think of the moon as something that connects us all,” Wilson said. “I think that’s one reason I take them. Even when I’m far away from the people I love, we can both see the moon together.”
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Attendees are encouraged to display their own bad photos of the moon by uploading them to a Kodak printer and adding them to the wall.
Ron Schmidt, an exhibit-goer, said he takes photos of the moon “because it’s special.”
“I sit out, looking to the Sandia Mountains … and bam,” Schmidt said. “For once, it feels not so far away. I could be there.”
The exhibit will be on display at the Sanitary Tortilla Factory until Dec. 27.
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
