Family Threads [prog] — GABRIEL JACOBS

Gabriel Jacobs is a visual engineer based in NYC. With dual backgrounds in fine
arts and technology, he solves problems through storytelling, visual design,
analytic research, systems technology, and product fabrication.

This multi-disciplinary approach applies to work across a variety of fields,
including finance, marketing, fabrication, photography and digital media,
computer programming and fashion.

PURPOSE

SELECTED PROJECTS

WHEN

DESIGN

FINANCE

GENERATIVE AI

World Building

Selected Imagery

Family Threads

 ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY
 PERSONAL
 DOCUMENTATION
 NARRATIVE

In 2012 like 50% of married couples in the USA my parents split. The circumstances while personal involved infidelity and accrual of massive debt. My two younger brothers were destined for Join Custody while I was given the option to pick a side, I choose my Father.

In the intervening years there was little stability, my father in particular to claw his way out of debt worked relentlessly, the large home I grew up in replaced with a cramped apartments sometimes hotels.

late shift, medium format

By 2015 I had become proficenient in photography, afterschool I would spend hours at the libary paging through photobooks, looking at the greats.

In particular I was drawn to the documentary work of Larry Sultan, the vast Suburban compositions of Gregory Crewdson and the stark lonliness in Todd Hido’s imagery.

So I turned the lens upon my own family.

Towards the spaces that we transited through, to my younger brothers, to my father.

Over the course of two years I composed this body of work, shot entirely on either Large or Medium format film.

Shooting on such a old and complicated format especially in the evenings presented signifigant challenges, especially given these cameras in large part were intended for primarily Studio use, where they would be attached to large tripods and paired with controlled lighting.

shower, medium format

hotel II, medium format

For this reason none of these compositions were candid, instead intricately posed in collaboration with my family, whom I am eternally grateful for putting up with me. Though most were composed off of actual scenes I had come across living with them.

Many of the exposures on were taken on low speed film and at high apertures neccecitating either hidden artificial lights or long exposures. It remains today one of my produdest photographic works I have ever created.

self portrait II, large format

self portrait III, medium format

long night, medium format

self portrait IV, large format

father II, medium format

youngest brother II, large format

Index

IG, Email