With the ubiquity of the photographic medium today, Richard Gordon’s work reminds us just how compelling an informed and creative perspective can be. Often his images are witty and quirky and evoke his dry sense of humor. Gordon frequently examined the role of photography and its relationship with reality, playfully challenging notions of truth and representation, while exploring the exotic of the everyday.

Richard Gordon (1945-2012) was born in Chicago. He studied Political Science at the University of Chicago and did not begin photographing until he worked at a photography studio in 1965. Early in Gordon’s career, Robert Frank critiqued his work and stated that he “loved photography too much.” Gordon frequently made photographic references in his work and paid homage to the photographers who influenced him: Eugène Atget, Walker Evans, Robert Frank and Helen Levitt.