Atomic Bomb c. 1955

This anonymous photograph, simply titled 'Atomic Bomb,' presents us with something both terrible and mesmerizing. The image is mostly gray, and was probably made with a camera, some time ago. The texture feels almost grainy, like looking at something not quite real, something that exists on the edge of visibility. The dark spots clustered within the mushroom cloud aren’t solid; they’re permeable, soft. The entire scene is diffused, obscuring any sharp edges, so the cloud seems to dissolve into the atmosphere around it. It reminds me that art, like an atomic reaction, isn’t just about destruction but transformation. I am put in mind of the work of Vija Celmins, who shares this image's interest in the depiction of terrible and awesome phenomena. Art helps us look at the unthinkable; it helps us feel our way through the darkness.