Fireflies in a Jar, Mentor, Ohio America, 20th century

Fireflies in a Jar, Mentor, Ohio

1995

Barbara Bosworth

(American, b. 1953)

Image: 45.5 x 56.7 cm (17 15/16 x 22 5/16 in.); Paper: 50.5 x 60.5 cm (19 7/8 x 23 13/16 in.); Matted: 71.1 x 81.3 cm (28 x 32 in.)

Gift of Friends of Photography 2001.127

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

Barbara Bosworth's work concerns society's interaction with nature, or the environment, and addresses the cycles of life, death, and renewal. She is widely known for her series of portraits depicting modern-day hunters, as well as her photographs of national champion trees and Ohio's sacred Indian mounds. In this recent body of work, the Cleveland-born photographer employed her camera to observe a common childhood activity: capturing fireflies in a glass container. This magical and mysterious print transforms the fireflies into abstract splashes of intense brightness against a dark field of summer grass. The timeless quality of the photograph elicits nostalgic feelings in viewers of all ages.