Daniel Gordon

In 2024, Daniel Gordon began a series of black-and-white photographsthat delve into transparency, light, and shadow, inviting viewers into anactive process of questioning reality versus perceived interpretation.Light Study centers on familiar objects found in his home and studio—such as glasses, kitchenware, and stationery—arranged in strikingtableaux that probe the relationship between images and objects.Many objects in his compositions appear to have a translucent quality,giving the impression that one can peer though, yet in reality thephotographed object is entirely opaque. This subtle contradictionbetween appearance and reality complicates the viewing experience,compelling a closer, more intentional gaze. Presented entirely ingrayscale and without the distraction of color, Gordon’s photographs emphasize rhythm and form through dramatic shadows cast by hisstudio lighting, lending the images a gravitas reminiscent of canonicalmodernist photography. One is drawn to look closely, then look again,continually questioning the boundaries between perception and belief.This new series builds upon Gordon’s distinctive process, bridgingphotography, painting, and sculpture. Since receiving his MFA fromYale in 2006, he has meticulously crafted complex photographsby sourcing images online or capturing them with his iPhone, thencreating paper replicas that mimic the form of the original objects.These stand-ins, though seemingly improvised, are intricatelyassembled and arranged into tableaux, then photographed from asingle, frontal perspective.In Light Study, Gordon revisits his earlier explorations of reality andinterpretation through form, drawing inspiration from modernistslike André Kertész, the surrealist experiments of Man Ray, and therigorous formal work by the postmodern photographer Jan Groover.By emphasizing shadows alongside the objects that cast them, hecreates an ambiguous visual space, challenging viewers to continuallyquestion and reinterpret what they see. His black-and-white palettereimagines the historical trajectory from monochrome to color,expanding his visual language while preserving the transformativeethos at the heart of his practice.