Bullet through Candle Flame

Gift of John Andrew MacMahon '95

Edgerton developed a tube using xenon gas that could produce high-intensity bursts of light when he was in graduate school, and he used this tube as his basic flash technique in photography. This photo captures the moment when the bullet passes through the flame. The flame possesses both color vibrance and mobility of movement.

From the first sight, the flame looks like a blooming flower in front of the gradient color background. At the same time, it is also a serious scientific documentation. These photographs of his scientific experiments blurs the boundaries of art and science, demonstrating the artistic beauty of scientific phenomena. His artworks revolutionized both the photography and science field. From the series, "Ten Dye Transfer Photographs."

Van Every/Smith Galleries Blog: NEW ACQUISITION: BULLET THROUGH CANDLE FLAME by Gaby Sanclimenti ’25