The moon has been bound to life and consciousness since the beginning of humankind. It has served elemental and vital functions such as providing light and measuring time, but it has also influenced the more ethereal and spiritual realms of gods, myths and magic. This exhibition operates at the crux of a lunar spectrum, between the lure and mystery of the unattainable moon and the eternal quest to conquer the moon in its material form. Drawn primarily from institutional collections in Los Angeles, the survey leads visitors through a panoply of objects dating from antiquity to the present.
Download the Hammer's free digital guide to listen to artists Francesca Gabbiani, Hanna Hur, Michael C. McMillen, and Alison Saar discuss their work featured in the exhibition.
“Drawing Down the Moon” is organized by Allegra Pesenti, former associate director and senior curator, Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, which is part of the Hammer Museum at UCLA.