EPISODE · Nov 4, 2025 · 51 MIN

Gideon Jacobs - On Images

from The Messy Truth - Conversations on Photography

In this episode, Gem Fletcher talks to writer and artist Gideon Jacobs. For the last few years, Gideon has been grappling with our relationship to images and technology, posing theories about its potential futures. Despite his beat not being politics, many of his most potent essays, in particular those for the LA Review of Books, use the root of politics to untangle the changing state of images and the ways in which reality is being reimagined through image production and strategy in dark and surreal ways. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, trying to unravel how the value of images is shifting and what the potential outcome or implications of this could be, to which there are several possibilities, but for Gideon, our relationship to technology comes front and centre. Gideon Jacobs is a New York based writer contributing fiction and nonfiction to The New Yorker, The New York Times, Artforum, BOMB Magazine, The Drift, Heavy Traffic, aMONG others. Alongside his writing, he is currently performing a one man show called Images: A Show, a performance as a Second Commandment fundamentalist preacher, directed by Ruby McCollister. He has lectured at a number of institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome and the New School, NYC. Gideon is currently working on a novel about images.Articles mentioned:Trump l’Oeil (LA Review of Books)Player One and Main Character (LA Review of Books)AI is the Future of Photography… (New York Times)Follow Gideon @gideon___jacobs & Gem @gemfletcher on Instagram. If you've enjoyed this episode, PLEASE leave us your feedback in the Apple Podcast store. Thank you for listening to The Messy Truth. We will be back very soon. For all requests, please email [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.