We are thrilled to introduce a new series of exclusive work by artist Mark Batty.
Deeply influenced by astronomy and the cosmos, Mark Batty continues his exploration of the subject matter by focusing on the moon. His fascination for space fuels his scientific research, as well as his artistic practice, aiming to share his admiration for the beauty of our stellar skyscape. He aims to produce a natural representation of the cosmos, however, due to the nature of space, the result can often seem free of reference and subject matter, blurring the line between representation and abstraction. For these new works, Mark Batty brings another layer of authenticity and materiality to his depictions of the moon by using lunar meteorite dust as a pigment.
These meteorites are ejected into space when the moon is impacted by other space rocks, like asteroids. Detached from the surface of the moon, the ejected surface material is captured by the earth's gravity until it eventually crashes into the earth's surface. Since the Apollo missions brought back lunar samples to be examined, it is now possible to identify these very rare meteorites as originating from the moon. Around 500 lunar meteorite samples have been discovered from an estimated 30 meteorite falls. As meteorite dealers cut the rocks into samples for collectors to purchase, the cutting dust is collected, and this is what Mark Batty uses to create his paint with linseed oil. It is a very fine powder that is at least 99.5% pure lunar meteorite dust.
