Bullet through Plexiglass 1962

Curator: Harold Edgerton, born in 1903, gave us this arresting image called "Bullet Through Plexiglass." Editor: Visually, it's a shock—a frozen explosion, a moment of impact rendered stark and silent. The black and white amplifies the drama. Curator: Edgerton was a pioneer in stroboscopic photography. Think of it—slowing down time itself! He wasn't just making art; he was inventing new ways to see. His work, especially this piece, shows us the normally invisible. The relationship of technology to human perception became a fascinating subject around the time he made this, and he seemed very aware of it. Editor: Precisely! There's something inherently unsettling about witnessing such destructive force captured so elegantly. It's both beautiful and a little terrifying to see violence so distilled. Curator: I wonder if Edgerton considered the wider implications of the image. It can be interpreted on many levels. Editor: Well, it's a potent reminder of the forces at play in our world. And it certainly makes you consider the politics embedded in the image. Curator: I suppose, yes, that is why this image strikes me so profoundly. Editor: Indeed. A lot to chew on.