Image: Drowning The Moon Eric Lesdema © Julia Waugh
Eric Lesdema
An artist whose works includes performance, installation and photography, currently investigating “Isotechnography” as the subject of a PhD research with Roy Ascot’s “Planetary Collegium”. He was awarded the UN Nikon World Prize For Photography in 1997 and continues to collaborate on projects with galleries and museums. The sculpture “Drowning The Moon” was installed and on view at CAS in Osaka. Eric Lesdema participated in a public discussion on the concepts and issues raised in his work for “The Astrologer Who Fell Into A Well”.
www.practicevonstroheim.org
Drowning The Moon -Extract - Extract (Nasmyth’s Moon R L Gregory)
“It is possible to improve photographs by selecting the best moments and combining them, while rejecting disturbed or otherwise inferior pictures. This can be done by human judgement or, far quicker, electronically. The power of such Lucky Imaging has been realised recently in astronomy (first by amateurs then belatedly by professionals) to produce pictures from large earth-based telescopes with even higher resolution than the wonderful Hubble orbiting space telescope.1
The idea of building up astronomical images by sampling goes back to the Victorian engineer and inventor James Nasmyth (1808-1890), famous for inventing the steam hammer. He used his skill in drawing for thinking (Nasmyth & Smiles, 1883). His father was the Edinburgh landscape and portrait painter Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1884). Retiring from his Manchester firm in 1856, at the age of 48, Charles moved to Kent and built a unique 20” reÅecting telescope designed for lengthy nightly sessions studying the moon. Just before photography was fully adequate, he made Plasterof-Paris models of lunar craters, selecting moments of best ‘seeing’ and adding details over many years of observing. By selecting the best moments, he was able to build models better than any individual perceptions. Further, he could photograph his models (easier at that time than photographing the moon directly through the telescope), and he could light the models to match various lunar conditions.”
Drowning The Moon - Introduction extract
“The releaÇe of memories caÇt in a Çingle tenÇe is a precurÇor that aÇcends the diÇtillation of ruminations furrowed in Çpecks upon the blue apron horizon-line of fire. Not as diÇquiet as the ruction of words cogged within the gateway of the body, yet between the tongue and the deep narrow hall of the pallet an eaÇed retentive eÇtuary tuned with counter noÇtalgia and preÇÇed upon the Çlice of human drama and its mirror image, what reÇembles a dam of noiÇe interference.
Peculiarized by the parachuted incandeÇcent lines of diÇcharge, the azure lattice favour the galvanized layout commencing as a rite of paÇÇage. The moiÇtened wall of this magazine of expenditure whence Çelf-Çerving, with its own Åuids and oral mucous tampered glands, is a Çpectral cavernous hollow body, as inebriated as the orcheÇtral chamber of a gun. OmnipreÇent as the Çilence be felt avalanches of matted carriages, intimates, auditory Çurges mixed included.
Unbearable this obÇoleÇcence. The fallout as one Çtill expects makes the Çtudy of life an expreÇÇive Çhell diÇcriminating againÇt any venting of belief. As Çole witneÇs of a novel experience, unnamed, unclaÇÇified, meaning not yet available to a democratic conÇenÇus, the air will be made rarefied. And Ço one’s breath, Çhort as it may be, Çhall coaleÇce with times of agnation yet from Çome unbearable ÇenÇory power Çhall raiÇe a being, vivid and reÇplendent, into cloiÇtered ÇecluÇion."
Eric Lesdema
An artist whose works includes performance, installation and photography, currently investigating “Isotechnography” as the subject of a PhD research with Roy Ascot’s “Planetary Collegium”. He was awarded the UN Nikon World Prize For Photography in 1997 and continues to collaborate on projects with galleries and museums. The sculpture “Drowning The Moon” was installed and on view at CAS in Osaka. Eric Lesdema participated in a public discussion on the concepts and issues raised in his work for “The Astrologer Who Fell Into A Well”.
www.practicevonstroheim.org
Drowning The Moon -Extract - Extract (Nasmyth’s Moon R L Gregory)
“It is possible to improve photographs by selecting the best moments and combining them, while rejecting disturbed or otherwise inferior pictures. This can be done by human judgement or, far quicker, electronically. The power of such Lucky Imaging has been realised recently in astronomy (first by amateurs then belatedly by professionals) to produce pictures from large earth-based telescopes with even higher resolution than the wonderful Hubble orbiting space telescope.1
The idea of building up astronomical images by sampling goes back to the Victorian engineer and inventor James Nasmyth (1808-1890), famous for inventing the steam hammer. He used his skill in drawing for thinking (Nasmyth & Smiles, 1883). His father was the Edinburgh landscape and portrait painter Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1884). Retiring from his Manchester firm in 1856, at the age of 48, Charles moved to Kent and built a unique 20” reÅecting telescope designed for lengthy nightly sessions studying the moon. Just before photography was fully adequate, he made Plasterof-Paris models of lunar craters, selecting moments of best ‘seeing’ and adding details over many years of observing. By selecting the best moments, he was able to build models better than any individual perceptions. Further, he could photograph his models (easier at that time than photographing the moon directly through the telescope), and he could light the models to match various lunar conditions.”
Drowning The Moon - Introduction extract
“The releaÇe of memories caÇt in a Çingle tenÇe is a precurÇor that aÇcends the diÇtillation of ruminations furrowed in Çpecks upon the blue apron horizon-line of fire. Not as diÇquiet as the ruction of words cogged within the gateway of the body, yet between the tongue and the deep narrow hall of the pallet an eaÇed retentive eÇtuary tuned with counter noÇtalgia and preÇÇed upon the Çlice of human drama and its mirror image, what reÇembles a dam of noiÇe interference.
Peculiarized by the parachuted incandeÇcent lines of diÇcharge, the azure lattice favour the galvanized layout commencing as a rite of paÇÇage. The moiÇtened wall of this magazine of expenditure whence Çelf-Çerving, with its own Åuids and oral mucous tampered glands, is a Çpectral cavernous hollow body, as inebriated as the orcheÇtral chamber of a gun. OmnipreÇent as the Çilence be felt avalanches of matted carriages, intimates, auditory Çurges mixed included.
Unbearable this obÇoleÇcence. The fallout as one Çtill expects makes the Çtudy of life an expreÇÇive Çhell diÇcriminating againÇt any venting of belief. As Çole witneÇs of a novel experience, unnamed, unclaÇÇified, meaning not yet available to a democratic conÇenÇus, the air will be made rarefied. And Ço one’s breath, Çhort as it may be, Çhall coaleÇce with times of agnation yet from Çome unbearable ÇenÇory power Çhall raiÇe a being, vivid and reÇplendent, into cloiÇtered ÇecluÇion."
Image: Ant - Optical Instrument © Eric Lesdema
