We live in a world filled with constant explosions of strong opinions, biases, fears, and energy.
In this chaos, nothing feels entirely safe. We are tightly packed together, surrounded by unpredictable eruptions in every direction.
In this series, I capture shifting bursts of color, light, and energy. All of these images are photographed handheld, dancing in rhythm with the evolution of rapidly changing forms. Award-winning pyrotechnicians taught me how to build professional-grade shells. Understanding the chemistry, physics, complex structure, and rhythm of fireworks has given me an intuition that informs every image I create. Each photograph records an event that can never be repeated and reveals how fragile beauty and belief can be.
The colors in these firework images are intentionally inverted, much like the color negatives produced by film cameras. Vibrant hues transform into soft pastels, and familiar shapes become something entirely different. The images evoke the spirit of Rorschach tests, which were designed to reveal subconscious thoughts and emotions.
By using color negatives, I also play with the idea of the “negative.” Negatives can alter perception, turning positives into negatives and vice versa. This inversion encourages viewers to pause and question what they are seeing. When printed at a large scale, the images immerse viewers in abstraction, creating a sense of contemplation and transcendence. As we look deeper, our thoughts may evolve. This visual transformation invites dialogue about perception and interpretation.
Do these color-negative images of fleeting explosions serve as a Rorschach test for our times?
What memories, music, or stories flood back into your mind?
What feelings and impressions emerge as you explore them?
By photographing fireworks handheld and transforming the images into color negatives, these works become unlike traditional firework photography. By removing context and employing negative color, they enter the realm of abstraction. The images are titled in the manner of the plate numbers used in a Rorschach test. Radiant Ether is ultimately an exploration of interpretation.
People see many different things in these images. What do you see? A flower, abstract calligraphy, snowflakes, stylized palm trees, microscopic crystal growth, frozen blue ferns, coral formations, or floating bioluminescence in seawater?
This series had an inauspicious beginning in July 2014. I was sitting on a beach along the Oregon coast. After sunset, people began packing tightly onto the sand. Then, suddenly, the night erupted. A rocket whizzed past and exploded directly overhead. Everywhere, something was exploding. It was amateur hour. Everything was illegal. Few people were sober. No one was truly safe.
The beach transformed into a party that lasted deep into the night. I began photographing with no project in mind. The chaos was both dangerous and exhilarating. I photographed handheld, moving in a dance with the pyrotechnics. Every year, I returned.
Years later, I had a vivid dream about fireworks. I woke in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep. Thoughts about fireworks and photography raced through my mind. Suddenly, I knew what to do with the images. On my computer, I transformed them into color negatives without any additional manipulation or AI-generated alterations.
My first thought was of Rorschach tests. The fireworks had become abstract. They remained beautiful and joyful, yet enigmatic. Each image invited deeper contemplation. Radiant Ether was born.
To better understand the passion behind pyrotechnics, I became an active member of three pyrotechnic communities. Through them, I have made many friends and learned from award-winning pyrotechnicians who taught me how to build professional six-inch shells.
Within these communities, I have met builders who craft fireworks and compete at the international level. Some spend more than 100 hours constructing a single sixteen-inch shell, twice the size of any shell legally fired in New York City. Once launched thousands of feet into the sky, these shells create extraordinary multi-burst displays with shifting colors and intricate effects.
I have also met shooters who spend thousands of dollars on fireworks to create precisely timed pyromusicals. Using computer-controlled firing systems, they choreograph displays that fill the sky for the enjoyment of family and friends. These are passionate people, each creating ephemeral beauty in their own way. Their dedication and artistry continue to inspire me.
In Radiant Ether, each image begins as a firework explosion and invites us to look deeper into ourselves.
Abou Brad Carlile
Portland, Oregon–based photographer Brad Carlile’s artistic practice is rooted in the history of photography while pushing the medium in new directions that explore time and perception. His inventive processes transform familiar spaces and fleeting events into images that blur the boundaries between observation and imagination. His work has been widely exhibited internationally, including at biennials such as the Festival de la Luz in Buenos Aires, and he was a winner of the prestigious Hearst 8×10 Photography Biennial in New York.
Carlile’s photographs are held in permanent museum collections, including the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC) in Salta, Argentina, and the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio). His recent work has received recognition from the 1839 Awards, the Prix de la Photographie de Paris (PX3), and the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA).
Carlile’s photography has been featured in publications including The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Houston Chronicle. [Official Website]
