High Museum Opens New Photography Exhibit: 'Blazing Light Photographs by Mimi Plumb'

Reflect on modern American life through Mimi Plumb's photography exhibition at the High Museum of Art.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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A new photography exhibition opening this week at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta invites visitors to reflect on the emotional weight of modern American life, from suburban expansion and political tension to climate anxiety and uncertainty about the future. 'Blazing Light Photographs by Mimi Plumb' features images made by photographer Mimi Plumb over the past five decades, exploring themes that curator Gregory J. Harris says are 'pretty relatable to people' today.

Why it matters

The exhibition provides a powerful visual exploration of pressing issues like political instability, environmental damage, and the rapid pace of change in modern society. Plumb's work resonates with younger viewers who see their own fears reflected in images made decades earlier, offering a sense of reassurance and a way to 'wrap your head around what it's like to live in discordant times'.

The details

The exhibition is organized around three major bodies of Plumb's work. Her earliest photographs, made as a teenager, document suburban development outside San Francisco and capture a sense of boredom and alienation as optimism about progress begins to fade. Later sections examine environmental damage and the growing presence of military and industrial infrastructure, juxtaposing historic homes with construction debris and highways. Recent photographs taken near a drought-stricken reservoir continue those themes of anxiety about the future.

  • The exhibition 'Blazing Light Photographs by Mimi Plumb' opens on Friday, February 5, 2026.
  • The exhibition will be on view through May 10, 2026.

The players

Mimi Plumb

A photographer whose work spanning more than five decades is featured in the exhibition at the High Museum of Art.

Gregory J. Harris

The curator of the 'Blazing Light Photographs by Mimi Plumb' exhibition at the High Museum of Art.

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What they’re saying

“The things that I'm looking at are things that are affecting all of us. It's speaking about what life looks like when you live on the edge of the city, and what the environment looks like. Climate change is what that looks like. The threat of nuclear war, what that feels like.”

— Mimi Plumb, Photographer (theatlantavoice.com)

“A lot of the work deals with really pressing issues that I think are pretty relatable to people. This idea of political tension, cultural difference, and instability. The world is changing really quickly, and that's disorienting.”

— Gregory J. Harris, Curator (theatlantavoice.com)

“I feel more anxious now than I did in the 80s. Back then, it felt like we still had time to change things. Now it feels more pressing.”

— Gregory J. Harris, Curator (theatlantavoice.com)

“The pictures give shape to these really amorphous emotions. Being able to look at them helps you wrap your head around what it's like to live in discordant times.”

— Gregory J. Harris, Curator (theatlantavoice.com)

“Young people really made my work. Many see their own fears reflected in images made decades earlier.”

— Mimi Plumb, Photographer (theatlantavoice.com)

What’s next

The exhibition 'Blazing Light Photographs by Mimi Plumb' will be on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta through May 10, 2026.

The takeaway

This powerful photography exhibition provides a visual exploration of the emotional weight of modern American life, from suburban expansion and political tension to climate anxiety and uncertainty about the future. Plumb's work resonates with viewers of all ages, offering a sense of reassurance and a way to understand the discordant times we live in.