Thomas Jackson, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. He earned a B.A. in History from the College of Wooster, then began his career in New York City's book publishing industry. He later worked as an editor and writer at Forbes Life magazine.

His interest in photography books eventually inspired him to begin his own photography journey, initially capturing Garry Winogrand-inspired street scenes, then landscapes, and ultimately the installation work he creates today. Jackson is a self-taught artist, aside from several classes at the International Center of Photography in New York. He has pioneered a unique process that merges landscape photography, sculpture, and kinetic art.

Jackson's work has been exhibited extensively at venues such as The Photography Show (AIPAD) in New York, the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, and the Bolinas Museum in Bolinas, CA. His accolades include being named one of the Critical Mass Top 50 in 2012, winning the "installation/still-life" category of PDN’s The Curator award in 2013, and earning second place in CENTER's Curator's Choice Award in 2014. He currently resides in Pennsylvania.