INTIMATE STORIES: THROUGH THE LENSES OF JOSHUA GORDON
The photographic world of Joshua Gordon is an unsettling one— a gritty snapshot of the unturned stones and forgotten stories of society. An ode to all the misfits, rebels and countercultural characters. Looking at his images seems like a page torn out from his intimate memories. It’s raw, real and without compromise. Dark and seedy brothels, backstreets that invoke the memories of photojournalist legends, all the while laced with a taste for fashion and cool.
The Dublin-born artist recently moved to Tokyo, adding another chapter to his eclectic travels. The story of this artist is one that would seem unbelievable at first glance, one that seems crazy even in the fictional world of cinema; from close encounters with vengeful gangsters to brushes with the law, flirting with homelessness and DJing in chicken shops this is a tale that is just as rich as the subjects he captures in his lens.
GATA recently had the chance to connect with the photographer in Tokyo, touching on his love for the city, his inspirations in life and his future plans for his creative craft.
Hello Joshua, thank you so much for your time. Could you introduce yourself to the GATA family?
Joshua Gordon: I’m Joshua Gordon and I like to make stuff and tell stories.
How did your background and the way you were raised influence your work and who you have become so far?
Joshua Gordon: In every way, my childhood was crazy and intense and strange, and I’ve lived a million lives already at 32. I’ve been homeless, been rich, worked in a warehouse, sold drugs, done door-to-door energy sales, been a semi-professional handbag thief, DJ’d in a chicken shop, taken photographs for brothels to use in their used underwear machines, had a lot of gangsters try and murder me, and lived everywhere from the Irish countryside to Mexico to Tokyo. My upbringing made me eager to explore the world as Dublin was so small, closed off and close-minded.
Can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing as an artist? When did you take your first steps into the creative world, and why?
Joshua Gordon: I was always making things, Art and writing was the only stuff I cared about as a kid but the writing fell off until a few years ago when I started trying to tell stories in that way again. I used to film and photograph my friends skateboarding when I was 13-14, then I started graffiti which led me to find out about photography and early 80s graffiti art and discover people like Mary Ellen Mark, Blade, Ramellzee, Lady Pink, adam’s & itsoe, Nug, Futura, Earsnot, Larry Clark, Jim Goldberg and Martin Wong. They were my earliest influences. I just kept documenting everything around me until now, and slowly branched out into film, screenprinting, music, installation, making books etc. etc.
Your art has no limits; you have expressed yourself through video, photos, collages, and music. What does it mean for you to be able to delve into your different passions for art?
Joshua Gordon: I get bored, I have a classic ADHD brain, I want to try everything and don’t believe anyone should limit themselves to one medium. I’m not a purist with anything I do, apart from maybe my approach to documentary photography which is influenced by a more traditional, 80s reportage style of photo work.
You have recently moved to Tokyo, and we know it has become a big inspiration for you. Can you tell us the reason for your unconditional love for the city?
Joshua Gordon: Japanese photography, art, music and film have always been a big inspiration for me, I grew up obsessed with Keizo Kitajima and Daido. I first came here in 2019 and fell in love with the place, so the minute the borders opened I came back. It’s my favourite place in the world for so many reasons, the passion and dedication people have for their art and personal style are very refreshing and inspiring to me, it’s safe and clean and people are respectful. I don’t have to be ready to fight or constantly watch my back here, which is something I had to do in Dublin or London after being robbed and attacked so many times.
Where do you go when you need a break from reality?
Joshua Gordon: I love Osaka, I like Showa period stuff and it’s so cinematic and a bit rough around the edges. I like Bangkok too, the Irish countryside, the quiet parts of Mexico, going to the movies or the Sento. I love the Sento.
What are your favourite spots in Tokyo?
Joshua Gordon: I love Nakano Broadway, little bars in Shinjuku, cinem@rt, and weird noise cassette shops in Koenji, I find ten things a week, it’s endless!
You have a very unique style: it feels like your way of dressing is nothing but another way of expressing your art. What does fashion mean to you, and how does it inspire you?
Joshua Gordon: I just want to have fun, I love mixing vintage with weird old lady shoes and accessories from all over the world with Walter or Vivienne pieces I’ve spent four to five years finding, mashing it all together. I want to play a character, to confuse people, I love collecting things. I’m not inspired by fashion but I love clothes, and I love what my friends wear, I love people with a unique sense of style.
You have been collaborating with a lot of talented and well-known people. Are there any artists on your list for potential collaborations in the future?
Joshua Gordon: I have had the same dream list for ten years, it’s still the same but every year I add a few more and get to tick off some. My list has always been Aphex Twin, DJ Sprinkles, Revs, JA, Chris Korda, Larry Clark and Harmony Korine. Gaspar Noé, Salem, all of the Drain Gang & sad boys again. Earsnot, Boris Mikhailov, Francois Sagat, Kembra Phfaler. I wanted to shoot Genesis P-Orridge, Daniel Johnston, Prince and a few others, but they died.
What have been your primary sources of inspiration?
Joshua Gordon: Too broad of a question, the entire universe! Everyone I’ve ever met and every place I’ve ever been.
Imagine living inside the setting of your favourite movie; which movie would it be, and why?
Joshua Gordon: Maybe in some cute fantasy land like in Fantastic Planet or Wizards by Bakshi.
What does cinema mean to you? Could you tell us about your favourite films, directors you respect or anything that has meant something profound to you in your career as an artist?
Joshua Gordon: Films changed my life, cinema is the most powerful medium in the world, it combines all other mediums, storytelling, art, photography and sound. Films influence and dictate everything for me, all of my decisions in my life are cinematic, based on what I think a character in a film would do. I was very inspired growing up by French cinema, films like Les Amants De Pont Neuf, and Gaspar Noe’s films really spoke to me— they were so powerful and intense, like a slap in the face. That intensity doesn’t appeal to me now, I prefer slow, romantic movies and my images I think are much less confrontational than when I started.
Can you give us a sneak peek at any upcoming projects?
Joshua Gordon: I have a lot this year. Photo wise I kinda gave up on photography two years ago. I didn’t take a photo for a year, I gave my cameras away, and I traded the one I used for a decade with an Australian kid for a horrible Walter hat, but I’m back now and trying to do as much as I can with all of my old and new work.
I have a book of photos and short stories from the last four years coming out soon with classic Paris, launching with some exhibitions of collages and short stories and video pieces, I recently did a book with Hysteric Glamour and Perks and Mini. I’m also doing a book and exhibition on a project I’ve been shooting in Japan with Komiyama books, a hardback book with Innen and another book in Japan with my friend Tom, which also launches with an exhibition. So five books, a bunch of gallery shows this year, maybe try to make some documentaries again cos I kinda gave up on that too. I’m not gonna be here forever, so I’m making the most I can now before I’m gone.