The Big Bang: Incredible Macro Photos of Exploding Bullets

April 16, 2012

While the results are visually stunning, you might wonder what in the world possessed Deborah Bay to pick up her Contax 645 and start snapping close-up pictures of bullet-punctured panels of plexiglas. Good question. “ I began thinking about The Big Bang after seeing a sales display of bullet-proof plexiglas that had projectiles embedded in it,” she recently explained to PDN. “The plexiglas captured the fragmentation of the bullets and provided a visual record of the energy released on impact. As I began to explore this concept further, I also was intrigued by the psychological tension created between the jewel-like beauty and the inherent destructiveness of the fragmented projectiles. Many of the images resemble exploding galaxies, and visions of intergalactic bling sublimate the horror of bullets meeting muscle and bone.”

What’s more, the Houston-based artist was inspired by “the pervasiveness of guns as cultural symbols and America’s long-held affection for guns as part of the country’s heritage” — especially given the shocking fact that there are two guns for every man, woman, and child in her home state. Click through to see a selection of photos from Bay’s series, and visit her website to check out more of her work.