Seriously...

Why the Moon, Luke?


Listen Later

Luke Jerram is that rare bird, a genuinely popular yet acclaimed contemporary artist. And he's obsessed with the moon. So he's made one: seven metres wide featuring 120dpi detailed NASA imagery, and he's taking it around the world. This is his story, as well as the moon's..

Every day Luke Jerram cycles to his studio across the river in Bristol and watches its dramatic changes. It has the second highest tidal range in the world and it's the moon that makes this happen. Luke's become fascinated with finding out everything he can about the cultural, artistic and poetic significance of the moon, and the latest scientific developments around it. It both reflects our culture and inspires it.

Being colourblind he's interested in all forms of light, and moonlight is fascinating and has very particular properties. The fact we see 'the man in the moon' is a perceptual and optical illusion. But again, different cultures see different imagery - in China they see the Hare in the Moon.

Luke presents his own story of making these works and hearing people's responses to them, woven in with the new soundtrack he's commissioned from composer Dan Jones. We talk to fellow contemporary moon obsessives James Attlee and Jay Griffiths, but it's all filtered through the very particular consciousness of one artist and his imagination, and the hard slog of his creative process.

Producer Beth O'Dea.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Seriously...By BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

257 ratings


More shows like Seriously...

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,588 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,049 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,470 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,801 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,880 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,758 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,043 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,118 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,091 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

487 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,983 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

480 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

592 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

106 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

44 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

297 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

852 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

67 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

46 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,180 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,015 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

103 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

80 Listeners

When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

When It Hits the Fan

49 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

46 Listeners