On Thursday, Feb. 27, just before spring recess, I took the unfamiliar yet worthwhile journey down Nassau Street to Lucas Gallery to attend the opening reception of “Millstone,” the senior exhibition of Jasper Waldman ’25. As I closed in on this foreign territory, the visual arts, laughter and chatter echoed from the gallery, inviting me into an insightful exploration of water and nature photography.
“Millstone” is Waldman’s photography exhibition, depicting the natural landscapes and scenes he witnessed while biking along the Millstone River and nearby watershed. Lake Carnegie, the constructed reservoir used by the crew teams on campus, was formed due to the damming of the Millstone River, which runs through Princeton.
Waldman, a senior in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program, is also pursuing a minor in the Program of Visual Arts. Through an array of large format prints developed through analog processing as well as an audiovisual installation, “Millstone” touches on Waldman’s relationship with and the cyclicality of water “from flood, to drought, to freeze, and flood again,” according to the Lewis Center for the Arts’ description of the project.
While perusing the exhibit and reception, I met Waldman and heard about his inspiration for “Millstone.”
He touched on the historical roots of Lake Carnegie, a reservoir constructed by the damming of the Millstone River, which is illustrated along the entrance to the exhibit through a strategically taped enlarged map. Additionally, Waldman shared an anecdote that sparked the beginning of “Millstone.” He discussed his experience biking along the body of water when he encountered a flooded causeway, interrupting his bike ride.
“I was in a class at the time, and I was making landscape work, and then I felt myself really drawn into the world of the Millstone River and Lake Carnegie,” he said.
Immediately upon walking into the gallery, I was struck by a photograph depicting a young man jumping into water. The image acted as a sort of centerpiece, illustrating the exact moment the subject, Andrew, burst through the surface of the body of water.
Waldman described this image as similar to a fetus in amniotic fluid. With his legs balled tightly to his chest and the camera lens below the water’s surface, this comparison is strikingly accurate — a moment of rebirth, symbolizing humanity and nature commingling.
One of my favorite features was a set of two prints hung on opposing walls of the gallery. Waldman described the two as being in conversation with each other, playing with the shadows and visibility. Both depicted the surface of a body of water. One features an opaque liquid, almost black, in which viewers can only see their reflection. The other is a transparent surface in which you could see straight through to the water’s floor.
I found the combination of these two pieces to be a thoughtful commentary on changing perspectives regarding the natural world, especially Lake Carnegie, the Millstone River and the water sources surrounding Princeton’s campus.
Among the prints of natural landscapes surrounding Lake Carnegie and the Millstone River, Waldman included a television presenting a video montage of footage he took while on his excursions and bike rides along these bodies of water. Over the tape, he spliced sounds of rushing water with the music he listened to while developing the film. This felt like an authentic addition to the exhibition, allowing viewers to identify with the journey that produced “Millstone.”
Shooting analog film results is a lengthy process, as there are many steps to developing and printing in a darkroom. The process carries intentionality, especially when compared to the rapid image distribution of online media. The inclusion of the television video visibly depicts Waldman’s process and the tranquility and intentionality of “Millstone.”
One of the aspects of this evening that stuck with me was the sense of community surrounding Waldman’s work. As I made my way through the gallery, I was met by a stream of support for Waldman, from sailing teammates to fellow peers from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to community members from town. While many of them had limited prior knowledge of the Millstone River or photography, this exhibit brought the group together, a testament to the educational and insightful story depicted in “Millstone.”
Marley Hartnett-Cody is a member of the Class of 2028, a contributing writer for The Prospect, and a print designer at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at mh8519@princeton.edu.
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