Amid an acclaimed career in portrait photography that lasted eight decades, Jacobi spent a few invigorating years experimenting with abstract photography, about which she claimed that “the possibilities were limited only by one’s imagination.” Her images were made without cameras, but she called them “photogenics” instead of photograms because no objects touched the print’s surface.

Instead, Jacobi moved a flashlight and sometimes a clear barrier, such as cellophane or glass, above a piece of light-sensitized paper. As the light shone through the barrier it warped and refracted, leaving behind traces of its presence through layered abstract designs. Working quickly and in the darkroom, Jacobi had only limited control over the final composition, so it wasn’t uncommon for her to produce dozens of prints before finding one that satisfied her.

—Text taken from the Carter Handbook (2023)