The Big Bang

Ross Sonnenberg’s Big Bang Project sits at the intersection of destruction and creation - a series of cameraless photographs made not with a lens, but with fireworks. Each image resembles a galaxy in formation: bursts of color, swirling smoke patterns, traces of flame. Yet the story behind these cosmic visions is as striking as the images themselves.

In his early twenties, Sonnenberg was preparing for a career in film when he was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus. The illness and ensuing chemotherapy forced him to abandon his plans, plunging him into a period of personal upheaval.

As he recovered, one impulse remained: the need to make images. He turned to photography - specifically, cameraless techniques that allowed him to work directly with light.

The spark of the Big Bang Project came when Sonnenberg began placing fireworks over light-sensitive paper in a darkroom. In total darkness, he arranges firecrackers, bottle rockets, or spinning “ground flowers” along with materials like foil, sand, or water.

When ignited, the fireworks themselves become the light source. Sparks burn across the paper; smoke leaves ghostlike gradients; debris creates unexpected marks. Most attempts fail, but the successful ones explode into vibrant, cosmic forms. Each print is a one-of-a-kind record of an actual detonation.

Sonnenberg’s method mirrors his own journey: unpredictable, volatile, and ultimately transformative. The explosions evoke the chaos that illness brought into his life, while the resulting images reflect renewal - a universe created from disruption.

The Big Bang Project has since been exhibited widely and acclaimed for its daring blend of photography, abstraction, and performance. Through these luminous, explosive works, Sonnenberg shows how even the most violent forces can be shaped into something unexpectedly beautiful.