When Anne and I lived in Chicago and embarked on the occasional little journeys out of the city, we often stopped at the big fireworks markets in Indiana to poke around and hunt for fun novelty fireworks. While fireworks are certainly fun to ignite, we really enjoy the delightful colors and designs of the fireworks themselves (like colorful little presents, exquisitely wrapped!) and have held on to some of our favorites! Above are a few photographs I took of novelty fireworks we have collected... I hope you enjoy them! If you'd like to look at some more fun vintage fireworks images, visit here and here (you Brits have some great vintage fireworks sites!)
Below is a wonderful screenprint entitled "Celebration" that I first saw with my sister while visiting the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Made by Clay Huffman in 1991, it is a very complex screenprint comprised of 31 different ink colors; I was quite captivated by the subject matter, vibrant colors, and technical excellence of the print! A few years later, my mom and sister went back to the Torpedo Factory and bought me one of the prints (print #85 of an edition of 190) and surprised me with it on my birthday! I haven't had it displayed in a few years, and went into quite a panic this morning when it wasn't where I thought I had packed it; I found it, however, and am pleased that it looks just as colorful, dynamic and fun as I remembered it! I hope you all have safe and fun celebrations of your own on this Independence Day!!!
