Larry W. Schwarm
Flint Hills Prairie Fire near Cassoday, Kansas1990
ektacolor print
13 1/4 x 13 1/4 in.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist
Layers of vibrant color are the subject of this image more so than the title would suggest. The simplicity of the composition belies the inherent complexity of the subject, which is the tallgrass prairie of middle Kansas. The prairie ecosystem benefits by fire; most likely this one was purposely set by biologists in an effort to revitalize the prairie.
