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A black and white photo of a person’s bare feet standing on a wooden floor. In front of them, a knife and a pile of cannabis sit on a cutting board, surrounded by lighters, cigarette packs and a glass bong.
A black and white photo of a person’s bare feet standing on a wooden floor. In front of them, a knife and a pile of cannabis sit on a cutting board, surrounded by lighters, cigarette packs and a glass bong.

Photographer Joshua Gordon's “loose diary” of work (NSFW)

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Date
23 January 2017

“I suppose I don’t really focus on one subject or story, I’d rather just shoot as much different, varied stuff as possible and then arrange it to create my own narrative” London-based Irish photographer Joshua Gordon tells us. “It’s a combination of personal projects and character studies enchained to create a story, one that’s ever changing and developing as the project continues. I’ll stop shooting and release them in a publication this year. I suppose it’s a loose diary of sorts.”

The collection of images Josh sent us serve as passport stamps documenting a string of wild escapades stretching around the world. “The majority are from a project comprised of images taken over the last four years in London, Dublin and Thailand.” Despite the four years which thread between the images, Joshua sees each of his shots as intrinsically connected. “Even when I shoot prostitutes for six months in Thailand I don’t really see it existing on its own, I’d rather it sat beside other stuff I shoot here and in other countries to create a much more interesting, complex story.”

Within the complex web of work below can be found images from his short film due to be released later this year, an image from a collaborative shoot between the photographer and his girlfriend Jess [Maybury] for the latest issue of Gut magazine, a portrait of experimental musicians Dean Blunt and Gaika for the cover of Crack, a tear from Carhartt’s new book with Rizolli which features some of his film work, a portrait shot for Law Magazine, and a cover for Library Paper.

A high-contrast, grainy black and white photograph of a garden at night. Pale flowers grow in a dark bed in front of a brick wall and a white-framed window.
Above

Joshua Gordon: London, 2014

A black and white magazine cover features a person wearing a textured, mask-like face covering and a hood. The title “Library Paper” appears at the top, with “06: The New” printed at the bottom.
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Joshua Gordon: Front cover of Library Paper, 2015

A black and white photo from behind shows a person with a short buzz cut. A cross and flame design is shaved into the back of their head.
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Joshua Gordon: Commissioned work for LAW Magazine & The British Fashion Council

A black and white photograph of a person reclining on a bed. Their body is rendered as a glowing white silhouette against a dark background.
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Joshua Gordon: Taifu in Bangkok, 2014

A high-contrast black and white image of a wire fence topped with coils of razor wire. The fence and wire are bright white against a solid black background.
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Joshua Gordon: London, 2015

A blurred black and white photograph of two people standing side by side against a dark background. The figures are out of focus, creating a sense of motion and distortion.
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Joshua Gordon: Dean Blunt & Gaika for the front cover of Crack Magazine, 2016

A black and white double-page spread featuring six cinematic stills from a video campaign. The images show a person walking up stairs, a close-up of a person wearing glasses, and a figure dancing in a misty outdoor setting. Other frames show a person stepping onto a box and a close-up of a foot splashing into water.
Above

Joshua Gordon: A page from Carhartt’s new book with Rizolli, featuring some screen-grabs from a short film I directed for Carhartt in 2015, shot by Isaac Eastgate

A black and white portrait of a person with long hair, looking directly at the camera. They are shirtless, wearing a necklace and dark trousers, standing against a plain wall.
Above

Joshua Gordon: A boy I met on the train. Berlin, 2016

A black and white portrait of a person looking directly at the camera. They hold a revolver to the side of their head, wearing an open jacket with a US flag patch on the sleeve.
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Joshua Gordon: Joseph Bird, Thailand, 2015. My good friend & the camera assistant for my short film “Krahang”. This shot was taken after the last day of filming, the pistol he’s holding to his head is one of my young subject’s homemade pistols, which they put together from modified BB guns and parts from Facebook. The gun’s are crudely made and commonly backfire & explode in the users hands.

A black and white portrait of a person looking directly at the camera. They wear a dark lace slip dress and a thin necklace with a small pendant.
Above

Joshua Gordon: Jess. London, 2016

A black and white photo of a person’s bare feet standing on a wooden floor. In front of them, a knife and a pile of cannabis sit on a cutting board, surrounded by lighters, cigarette packs and a glass bong.
Above

Joshua Gordon: Bangkok, 2015

A person wearing a black nun’s habit and a cross necklace squats in the corner of a room. They wear sheer black tights and pointed heels, looking directly at the camera.
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Joshua Gordon: Bangkok, 2014

A black and white photograph of a nude person lying face down on a white bed. They are turned to the side, with a tattoo of text running down their right hip.
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Joshua Gordon: Bangkok, 2014_

Two nude figures pose in a room, with red hand-drawn horns and tails added to them. In the top photo, one person sits atop the other; in the bottom photo, their positions are reversed.
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Joshua Gordon: A page from me & Jess Maybury’s joint shoot for Gut Magazine. Taken in London, 2016

A nude person kneels on a white bed, their head and shoulders draped in a white cloth. They are positioned in a room with blue floral wallpaper and a geometric, orange-toned headboard featuring a mirror.
Above

Joshua Gordon: A bathhouse in Chiang Mai, 2014

A person wears a red T-shirt and bold makeup, including bright blue eyeshadow and a wide, red smile. Two black curved lines are drawn above their eyebrows, and a beige fabric wrap covers their head and neck.
Above

Joshua Gordon: One more from me & Jess Maybury’s joint shoot for Gut Magazine. Taken in London, 2016

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About the Author

Bryony Stone

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Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.

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