How Photography Helped Build the Atomic Bomb

Art Review

An intergenerational group of artists, known as Slow War Against the Nuclear State, delves into the enduring impact of nuclear politics in a poignant and timely exhibition.

Still from elin o’Hara slavick (with Madeline Richardson), “Holding History in Our Hand” (2024), video (all photos Christopher Wormald, courtesy Pitzer College Art Galleries, unless otherwise noted)

CLAREMONT, Calif. — The feminist collective Slow War Against the Nuclear State, or SWANS, was born out of a moment of shared inspiration. In 2022, feminist artist Nancy Buchanan, based in Los Angeles, hosted a dinner party to discuss nuclear politics, which led to ongoing meetings of the group. Among the SWANS members, three grew up with fathers involved in atomic weapon production, while two had parents who were anti-war and anti-nuclear activists. Comprising seven artists and academics across three generations, the group contributes to Atomic Dragons at Pitzer College Art Galleries, highlighting photography’s role in nuclear weapons development and the human toll of nuclear disasters.

The exhibition thrives on the collective’s capacity to tackle the multifaceted issues of nuclear politics, emphasizing spectacle, memory, and endurance. Experimental photography plays a significant role in the exhibition, focusing on how the photographic industry, particularly Eastman Kodak, supported the U.S. government’s atomic bomb testing by creating cameras that captured explosions. elin o’Hara slavick’s works, “Hiroshima Flowers” and “Lingering Radiation” (both from 2008), use cyanotype and autoradiograph techniques to depict nuclear disaster artifacts. These haunting images focus on the lingering effects of the disaster decades later, rather than the initial impact.

In another part of the exhibition, SWANS members delve into the core ideas that might define a nuclear conscience, examining the fear-driven push for nuclear technology, its implications for contributors, and its global political ramifications. Sheila Pinkel’s “Nuclear Questions” (1985) questions nuclear fears, asking: “Are we afraid of one another? Is fear our gross national product? Can we make the world safe enough so that we can once again dream?” Buchanan uses the iconic mushroom cloud as a Cold War symbol, incorporating figures like Ronald Reagan and surreal elements into the image’s toxic plumes.

In its final section, Atomic Dragons presents archival objects, including irradiated items collected by o’Hara slavick from exclusion zones. A certificate from the War Department hangs on the back wall, awarded to the father of SWANS member Judith Dancoff, acknowledging his essential contribution to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

This evocative display evokes the reintroduction of the “Department of War” title by Donald Trump, while highlighting the recent U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which occurred during the exhibition’s run. These strikes resulted in significant casualties and displacement across Iran and Lebanon.

The exhibition skillfully navigates personal and political themes, thanks to the contributions of both artists and the curator. A symposium on April 4 will mark the exhibition’s closing, offering further exploration of nuclear politics. Atomic Dragons emphasizes that as nuclear conflicts persist, so too must the Slow War Against the Nuclear State, along with their gatherings.

Atomic Dragons continues at Pitzer College Art Galleries (1050 North Mills Avenue, Claremont, California) through April 4. The exhibition was curated by Emily Butts, director of Curatorial Affairs at Pitzer College.