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Bill Jacobson Art

American, b. 1955

Bill Jacobson uses the medium of photography to capture not just people and places, but emotion and metaphor. He is known for his blurry, out-of-focus black-and-white photographs that seem to depict memories rather than direct representations of figures and forms. Through the use of light, framing and composition, Jacobson creates haunting yet poetic images.

Jacobson was born in Connecticut in 1955. He graduated with a BA from Brown University in 1977 and earned his MFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1982. For the next several years, Jacobson took a break from taking photographs and shifted to collecting them. He felt that he needed to forget what he had learned in school. He visited flea markets and acquired hundreds of old photographs, captivated by their diffuse quality and sense of fleeting time.

Jacobson stepped back behind the camera in 1989, producing a series of photographs featuring pale and shadowy figures. The powerful images evoked the loss experienced during the AIDS epidemic and cemented Jacobson as an important figure in the burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement. Throughout the 1990s, Jacobson continued to shoot defocused figures in monochromatic lighting as a commentary on the flow of life.

In 1999, Jacobson returned home to New York from a trip to India with a fresh perspective. He became enamored with color and the movement of people through public spaces. Jacobson took his camera and a tripod to the city streets to create color photographs of the crowds, the light and the architecture.

In the mid-2000s, he began a foray into landscape photography with a focus on the perception of the horizon.

Jacobson’s work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He continues to exhibit across the United States.

On 1stDibs, find Bill Jacobson’s photography, prints and more.

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Place (Series) #665
By Bill Jacobson
Located in Houston, TX
Bill Jacobson Place (Series) #665, 2012 Pigment print mounted to museum board 37 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches, framed Ed. 7
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Pigment

Song of Sentient Beings #1612
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Signed, l.r. Edition of 50 This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Photogravure

Thought Series #904
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, verso 13.5 x 11 inches, sheet 9.25 x 8 inches, image (Edition of 25) This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Interim Figure #1025
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Bill Jacobson Interim Figure #1025 1994 Signed and numbered, verso Gelatin silver print (Edition of 9) 7 x 9 inches, image 16 x 20 inches, sheet
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Interim Figure #1060
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Bill Jacobson Interim Figure #1060 1994 Signed and numbered, verso Gelatin silver print (Edition of 9) 9 x 7 inches, image 20 x 16 inches, image
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Interim Couple #1098
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Bill Jacobson Interim Couple #1098 1994 Signed and numbered, verso Gelatin silver print (Edition of 9) 9 x 7 inches, image 20 x 16 inches, sheet
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Song of Sentient Beings: #1138
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Bill Jacobson, Song of Sentient Beings: #1138 1995 Gelatin silver print mounted to museum board in artist’s frame 36 x 28 inches Contact gallery for price.
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Song of Sentient Beings: #280
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Bill Jacobson, Song of Sentient Beings: #280 1995 Gelatin silver print mounted to museum board in artist’s frame 36 x 28 inches Contact gallery for price.
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Thought Series #2336
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print (Edition of 9) Signed and numbered, verso This photograph is offered by CLAMP, located in New York City. Price includes framing.
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Thought Series #104
By Bill Jacobson
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, verso 13.5 x 11 inches, sheet 9.25 x 8 inches, image (Edition of 25) This photograph is offered by CLAMP, located in New Yor...
Category

1990s Contemporary Bill Jacobson Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Previously Available Items
Thought Series #333-4
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Bill Jacobson art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Bill Jacobson art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Bill Jacobson in pigment print, silver gelatin print, archival pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Bill Jacobson art, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Eva Mueller, Marc Vaux, and Eve Sonneman. Bill Jacobson art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $915 and tops out at $10,000, while the average work can sell for $7,000.

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