Nahan's Forty Winks

Moon’s print is in part a landscape, like the other paintings on this wall, but one rooted in the East Asian landscape painting tradition. Originating in China, the earliest landscapes were not concerned with representing a particular place, but in conveying an idealized vision of an artist’s experience of the natural world through carefully brushed lines and ink wash. These represented the forms and contours of rocks, trees, and waterways, and the absence of line and wash could suggest atmosphere and depth.

Moon, known for clever cross-cultural and trans-historical combinations, has created a magical forest setting, with the blues and greens traditionally used to suggest otherworldly realms. The lion-like creature is a haetae, a mythical Buddhist protector. It carries a magical peach on its back, and peaches are spread around the space. In myths these peaches were found in the realm of the gods, and granted immortality. In art, they often hinted at human body parts such as breasts, cleavage, and bottoms. For Moon, they also connect to her sense of place as a long-time U.S. resident of Georgia, the "Peach State." Look closely at Moon’s landscape—disembodied eyes and rows of teeth hide among the rocks and clouds. What do you think the artist is suggesting with this sense of hidden danger in a seemingly traditional utopia?