Atomic Bomb c. 1955

I imagine this grainy photograph of an atomic bomb – made with light and silver on a piece of paper, by an anonymous artist – as the result of a strange, alchemical process. What was the photographer thinking when they took this picture? Probably, that they were making history. I imagine the photographer with their finger on the trigger: capturing something that has never been seen before, a secret that has been unleashed upon the world. The light is both beautiful and terrifying, like staring into the sun. The contrast between the dark mass and the bright halo is stark, a visual representation of the forces at play. It reminds me of some of Vija Celmins’ dark, mysterious, and beautiful drawings of outer space. It makes you realize that art-making has always been about witnessing, documenting, and trying to make sense of the world around us. Whether it’s through painting, photography, or any other medium, artists keep finding ways to capture the human experience.