In 2024, Daniel Gordon began a series of black-and-white photographs that delve into transparency, light, and shadow, inviting viewers into an active process of questioning reality versus perceived interpretation. Objects at Hand centers on familiar objects found in his home and studio— such as glasses, kitchenware, and stationery—arranged in striking tableaux 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, the photographed object is entirely opaque. This subtle contradiction between appearance and reality complicates the viewing experience, compelling a closer, more intentional gaze.
Presented entirely in grayscale and without the distraction of color, Gordon’s photographs emphasize rhythm and form through dramatic shadows cast by his studio lighting, lending the images a gravitas reminiscent of canonical modernist photography. In addition to the photographs from this new body of work, Objects at Hand will include a conversation between Gordon and friend and fellow artist Lucas Blalock, exploring the ways in which their respective studio practices continue to evolve.
Daniel Gordon holds a BA from Bard College and an MFA from Yale School of Art. Recent solo exhibitions include: Free Transform, Kasmin, New York, NY (2023), Green Apples and Boots, Huxley-Parlour, London, UK (2021), 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 New Canvas (Chose Commune, 2022), 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, The Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Spring, NY, Foam Museum, Amsterdam, and the VandenBroek Foundation, Lisse, NL. MoCP, Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, Museum of fine Arts, Houston, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, FL
