Lindsey Mott - Weekly Artist Post

Thomas Jackson

In Thomas Jackson's series "Emergent Behavior", he uses string to suspend man-made materials such as yarn, straws, and glow sticks, in natural environments. His process involves shooting the backdrop prior to creating these sculptures, and then again after they are set up. This allows him to easily remove the strings during the digital editing process. 

According to Jackson, "Emergent Behavior" is inspired by the patterns created by swarms in nature. Instead of using natural materials, he chooses to use man-made materials to create something structurally unique in a natural environment. There is a stark contrast between man-made and natural, even though the man-made material is organized in a way that recalls organic forms. Conceptually, Jackson blurs the line between sculpture and photography, yet creates something that can only exist as a photograph (sans the strings).

Technically, I appreciate how Jackson uses Photoshop in an intentional yet subtle way. In his interview, Jackson describes the struggle of restraining himself when it comes to digital editing, a struggle that is extremely relevant to modern photography. What's the use of photographing something that you can create on your computer? Where do we draw the line when it comes to editing? I think this is a question that every photographer must answer for his or herself. That being said, I really enjoy how Jackson's photographs are composed. For me, he is a great example of photography as vehicle for creation, not just documentation.