Lunar Moose Ascending

About Lunar Moose Ascending

This pop art painting of a moose is by Charles Pachter.

One of Canada’s most beloved and important contemporary artists, Charles Pachter’s singular imagery of iconic national symbols has won him international fame. The moose has been rendered in a series of paintings that celebrate this majestic native of the Canadian wilderness. In this grand depiction, a moose stands in profile silhouetted against a full moon as it appears to ascend a mountain. The palette is bold and sparing—the black moon pops against the white moon and the deep blue of the night sky. Pachter attributes a childhood encounter with a real moose at a local fair to his lifelong love of the image.

“So, I was an impressionable young kid, and what I didn’t realize is how much a childhood experience became something of an imprint for my entire career as an adult.” Charles Pachter

“Over his 50-year career, his boldly graphic works and uncloying patriotism have presented a cheeky yet defining vision of Canada and its culture unlike any other.” Betty Ann Jordan, Artist

Charles Pachter studied at the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne in Paris and at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the USA. Among his many accolades, he is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, a Chevalier of France’s Order of Arts and Letters and a recipient of the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals. He has had numerous solo exhibitions in Europe, Japan, the UK, India and Bangladesh. His work is held in both private and public collections around the world, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum and the McMichael Gallery.