Illusion of Control

Jack Herman

2026

Archival pigment print (giclée) on fine art paper

Edition of 12

This image explores the concept of control as both a perceived authority and an underlying illusion. Using the visual language of chess, a game traditionally associated with strategy, hierarchy, and calculated decision-making, the photograph questions whether control truly belongs to the individual or to the system in which they operate, or if it is ultimately shaped by external forces beyond conscious awareness and influence.