But overarching everything is the longing for things just beyond the grasp of reality. The whole world is envisaged as part of the fabric of fairytale. Again this brings recourse to discussions of form, as the boundaries between photograph, painting and film are blurred. Film itself is an integral – if not as satisfactory – part of the exhibition, with such stories as “Bluebeard” interpreted through a mixed medium of moving images and narration around Moon’s photographs.
With such retellings, Moon aligns herself with expansive postmodernists such as author Angela Carter, and it is not surprising to find her continued recourse to similar themes. Most notable is the section of images taken from “Circuss”, which gives way to a story of elephants and hippopotamuses on stage, tightrope walkers, girls on spinning wheels smiling for the knife thrower, leopards leaping out of walls and ships lost at sea.
Amidst the majority of black and white photos (although Moon never uses true white but more the “light of shadows”) there is also a section of colour prints – where most fashion photography in reality resides. But here she turns her attention to the natural world and a celebration – though not straight reproduction – of its colours. These are less constructed and more dictated images, because the subjects themselves (birds for example) make their own demands. Moon has spoken of the “clairvoyance” of colour, as once each is conceived it presents itself everywhere.
Sarah Moon is at at Michael Hoppen Gallery until 17 November 2008 and 'Sarah Moon: 1 2 3 4 5' is published by Thames & Hudson (£95)
Words: Alderson
Photography: (c) Sarah Moon