John Gossage is an Americanphotographer, noted for his artist's books and other publications using his photographs to explore under-recognised elements of the urban environment such as abandoned tracts of land, debris and garbage, and graffiti, and themes of surveillance, memory and the relationship between architecture and power.
Life and career
Gossage was born in Staten Island, New York City in 1946 and at an early age became interested in photography, leaving school at 16 and taking private instruction from Lisette Model, Alexey Brodovitch and Bruce Davidson. He later moved to Washington, D.C. to study, and subsequently received a grant from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art which allowed him to remain in the city and refine his photographic technique. He has shown his photographs in solo and group exhibitions since 1963. After a number of years with Nazraeli Press his usual publisher is now Loosestrife Editions and Steidl. He has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park and curated several photographic exhibitions. He lives and works in Washington, D.C.
The Things that Animals Care About. Tucson, AZ: Nazraeli, 1998.
Empire. Nazraeli, 2000.
Four American Photographs. Nazraeli, 2000. One Picture Book 2..
Hey Fuckface!. Tucson, AZ: Nazraeli, 2000.. With a pamphlet by Gus Blaisdell containing an essay taken from "Obscenity in Thy Mothers Milk," and a single page interview of Gossage by Peter Lloyd. Edition of 100 copies. "19 original silver gelatin prints with hand written curses mounted on rag board, housed in a wood and plexiglass box by Yachio-shi." A study of Environmental Protection Agency-listed hazardous waste sites in and near Staten Island and Syracuse, New York.
Hey Fuckface. Horses Think Press, 2015. With texts by Gus Blaisdell and Peter Lloyd.
A Dozen Failures. TIS, 2016.. Edition of 700 copies.
Looking up Ben James: A Fable. Göttingen: Steidl, 2016..
Jack Wilson's Waltz. Göttingen: Steidl, 2019..
Should Nature Change. Göttingen: Steidl, 2019.
The Nicknames of Citizens. Göttingen: Steidl, 2020.
Publications with others
America, 2006. Photographs by Obvious & Ordinary. Chicago: Stephen Daiter Gallery; London: Rocket Gallery, 2007. By Martin Parr and Gossage. Edition of 1500 copies.
One Day: 10 Photographers. Heidelberg: Kehrer, 2011.. A boxed set of ten books of photographs taken on 21 June 2010. Edited by Harvey Benge, each book by one of Gossage, Alec Soth, Jessica Backhaus, Gerry Badger, Benge, Todd Hido, Rob Hornstra, Rinko Kawauchi, Eva Maria Ocherbauer and Martin Parr.
Snake Eyes. Washington D.C.: Loosestrife Editions, 2002. With Terri Weifenbach. Edition of 500 copies.
The Auckland Project.Santa Fe, NM: Radius, 2011.. Photographs by Gossage and Alec Soth. Two volume hardbound in slipcase.
