Focus on Still Life: Daniel Gordon

Focus on Still Life: Daniel Gordon by Natalie CooneyNovember 4, 2021

©Daniel Gordon, Maine Still Life 15″ x 20″, Pigment Print 2020

Daniel Gordon’s work reflects the multiplicity of both the genre of still life and contemporary photography itself. Gordon creates lively images which transcend exact definition: using photography, sculpture, and collage, his works reflect his focus on the liminal space found between these mediums, as well as the divide the digital revolution created between the pre- and post-digital world of photography. Drawing inspiration from a variety of topics, from Matisse to houseplants, Gordon creates 2-D and 3-D images appropriating still life photographs found online, as well as painting and plastic arts such as sculpture. The meaning and significance of his work is as multifaceted as the mixture of styles and mediums he uses, evoking deep questions of reality and the human experience, as well as more whimsical and delightful feelings. His work, which struck me due to the vibrance of color and form and his unique juxtaposition of mediums, patterns, and styles, reflects the unlimited artistic potential of the genre of still life.

©Daniel Gordon, Books and Camera with Fruits 15″ x 20″, Pigment Print 2020

Daniel Gordon holds a BA from Bard College and an MFA from Yale School of Art. Recent solo exhibitions include: Night Pictures, James Fuentes, New York (2020), Hue and Saturate, Houston Center for Photography (2019), Blue Room, James Fuentes, New York (2018), Selective Color, M+B, Los Angeles (2017), New Canvas, James Fuentes, New York (2017), Hand, Select & Invert Layer, Bolte Lang, Zürich (2016), Switzerland; Shadows, Patterns, Pears, Foam Museum, Amsterdam, NL (2014); and Screen Selections and Still Lifes, Wallspace, New York, NY (2014). He has participated in several museum group exhibitions, including Cut! Paper Play in Contemporary Photography, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (2018), Secondhand, Pier 24, San Francisco, CA (2016) Greater New York, MoMA P.S. 1, Queens, NY (2010) New Photography Series, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY (2009).

He is the author of Houseplants (Aperture 2019), Spaces, Faces, Tables and Legs (OSP, 2018), Intermissions (OSP, 2017), Still Life with Onions and Mackerel (OSP, 2014), Still Lifes, Portraits, and Parts (Mörel, 2013), Flowers and Shadows(Onestar Press, 2011) and Flying Pictures (powerHouse Books, 2009). Gordon’s work has also been highlighted in several international publications including: The New York Times, The New Yorker, Art Review, Frieze, Architectural Digest, New York Magazine, W Magazine, Art in America, Modern Painters, PHOTONEWS, Dazed & Confused, Art in America, and Flash Art. His work resides in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Guggenheim, New York, Pier 24, San Francisco, Foam Museum, Amsterdam, and the VandenBroek Foundation, Lisse, NL.

He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Follow Daniel on Instragram: @danielgordonstudio

©Daniel Gordon, Peonies and Pomegranate 20″ x 15″, Pigment Print 2020

©Daniel Gordon, Arrangement with Batteries and Pliers 20″ x 15″, Pigment Print 2020

©Daniel Gordon, Flowers and Skull 20″ x 15″, Pigment Print 2020

©Daniel Gordon. Late Autumn Bowl 15″ x 20″, Pigment Print 2020

©Daniel Gordon, Oysters 15″ x 20″, Pigment Print 2020

Summer_Still_Life_with_Lobsters_and_Fern

Natalie Cooney is pursuing an M.A. in art history and curatorial studies at City College of New York. Her research has focused on the history of photography with a range of focus from Victorian post-mortem photography to contemporary work, and is expecting to finish her studies in May 2022. Prior to graduate school, Cooney was the gallery director for the New Orleans Photo Alliance, where she worked closely with photographers to produce exhibitions which elevated artists based in Louisiana and throughout the United States. She has also worked with PhotoNOLA to help produce the annual photo festival and portfolio reviews.. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

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