Bill Jacobson “Photographs”

“Most photographs are meant as documents of moments we wish to hold onto forever. My work suggests that these moments like life itself are constantly fading into the past.” Bill Jacobson

Bill Jacobson’s photographs resist easy identification. They are blurred, diffuse, and atmospheric, depicting only the vague outlines of urban scenes, rural landscapes, and human figures. Enveloped by a dark or light mist, these shadowy forms refute the premise that photographs capture reality and serve as a reliable aid to memory. Instead, his photographs are images of vague recollections and forgotten experiences. They speak of mortality and dissolution, not only of the body but of its surroundings as well. His latest works, presented here, are related to two earlier series from the 1990s which were direct responses to the AIDS epidemic, but are more open-ended and universal in spirit.

The artist:

Bill Jacobson, born in Connecticut in 1955. 1981 MFA in Photography, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco. His work is in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and numerous others. Exhibitions throughout North America and Europe.