Michael Ackerman’s photographs delve into the concepts of time and timelessness and personal and historical narratives of different places. His work reflects an existential urgency that embodies both desperation and luminosity, violence and tenderness. Ackerman’s style of black-and-white photography is characterized by an inherent risk-taking approach, where he explores impossible lighting to create enigmatic and powerful images. His images are intentionally grainy and damaged, which is not simply a matter of style, but a direct reflection of his lived experiences, which are never pristine.