Trippy Collages Blur the Line Between Real and Fake

Daniel Gordon’s photos put viewers on the slope of a sort of uncanny valley, a glitch between the real and the fabricated. Instead of real items, Gordon uses printed photos of the items folded to mimic (or not quite) their real world appearance, creating a sort of mockery of the original object in beautifully constructed collages.

Daniel Gordon’s photos put viewers on the slope of an uncanny valley, a glitch between the real and the fabricated. In place of authentic objects, Gordon uses printed photos of the items folded to mimic their real-world appearance, creating a mockery of the original object in beautifully constructed collages.

“I like photographs that aren't just one thing," says Gordon, "that are complicated, with blurred lines between themes such as the grotesque and the beautiful, humor and terror, wholeness and fragmentation, or innocence and corruption.”

In the photos from his book Still Lifes, Portraits and Parts, the elements of the foreground and background are carefully constructed from printed images. The lighting is meticulously arranged to relate with the printed textures. This adds realism that is immediately betrayed by a deliberately misaligned facet, or an inverted choice of color scheme. Backgrounds often are flattened in a dizzying array of colors and materials, cast upon by objects' eerie neon shadows. It's a balancing act between truth and invention that informs the entire series.

“This duality is something that I've been interested in from the very start," says Gordon. "I think that every photograph deals with this on some level—particularly in searching for the line between truth and fiction.”

Gordon cites the bold compositions and dissonant color palettes of Matisse, and the physical objects-turned-graphics in the photography of Barbara Kasten among his inspirations for the project. They offer reimaginings of what we viewers can take for granted in an image, and although Gordon’s work is deeply rooted in traditions of sculpture, collage and painting, his education and interest remain centered in photography. “Ultimately I'm interested in the transformation of what is in front of the lens through the act of photography,” he says.

Unlike a painter, Gordon does not have to recreate the likeness of an object every time he sets out to create a new image. The fabricated objects used in his photos are repurposed, borrowed or otherwise recycled among other photographs in the series. “I'm trying to challenge myself by developing and expanding upon a language that is hopefully unique,” he says. “I'm usually just following one foot in front of the other, trying to build upon the last thing I made.”

Gordon is not out to specifically challenge aesthetic norms or reinvent photography, but is happy exploring the strange corner of visual reality that he’s uncovered. His work may rub some the wrong way, but it wouldn’t be interesting if it didn’t. “I would say reactions have run the gamut -- from loathing to loving. Both and all in between have been valuable in helping me to gain a deeper understanding of my own work.“

Photos from the book will be on display at the Horticultural Society of New York through February 7.

Photos: Daniel Gordon