October 11, 2024

               Bill Jackson (1942–2018) was a prolific Detroit-area photographer,[1] who has said of his own practice: “My photography is sparse. Some images are dramatic encounters. Others invite exploration and contemplation. But they say no more than necessary.”[2] Over the Dam exemplifies one such encounter; most immediately (the encounter suggested by the title), between water (as an organic element) and a dam (as an inorganic feature). Human intervention in nature thus emerges as a central theme of the work—its shortcomings or failures, even, as the water seems to overcome the dam—and the large scale of the print (58” × 44”) enhances the viewer’s experience of the tensions therein. The large scale of the photograph also allows for a closer exploration of texture and pattern—the wall of water appears ridged and rigid, with curved lines simultaneously repeating into the shallow background and guiding the viewer’s gaze into the foaminess below. The juxtaposition of light and shadow, black and white, is also remarkable; from right to left, water flows from complete darkness, gushes over the greenish brown edge, and lands in a pool awash with light. With these compositional and tonal choices, Jackson suggests rhythm and movement while simultaneously disorienting the viewer. Is this actual water plunging over the edge, or some other plastic representation or liminal space? Jackson’s embrace of ‘sparseness’ proves productive aesthetically as well as conceptually.

                This photograph was exhibited at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York City, the year before Jackson’s death.[3] Subsequent years have revealed Jackson’s legacy, as his work is still circulated and exhibited, most recently at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Park.[4]

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