San Francisco Possibly 1973 - 1994

Richard Gordon shot this gelatin silver print sometime in his life between 1945 and 2012, I imagine in San Francisco. It's black and white, high contrast, and feels like a snapshot, you know? Like he was just walking around, saw something, and bam! I’m struck by the close-up perspective and the way he plays with depth of field, throwing some things out of focus and letting others snap into clarity. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, pay attention to this!" But also, "Don’t take it too seriously, it's just a peek". There's a curious mix of everyday objects – a toaster maybe, with a plant – and a kind of grungy, urban feel. It reminds me a bit of some of the New Topographics photographers, those guys who were making art out of the mundane. I bet he was thinking about how we see things, what we choose to focus on, and how the camera can change our view of the world. That’s what makes it so engaging—it's an invitation to see the world in a different way.