Portrait with a Yellow Window

A collage is an image created using shreds of existing materials, for instance by cutting up and pasting images, or editing them electronically. Although the collage technique is not new to photography, Daniël Gordon’s application is unique. Gordon starts the process by printing out images found on the internet. He then uses these images to build three-dimensional collages. The next step is to photograph the collages with an 8x10-inch camera, which is a large-format camera. Gordon is also keen to reuse materials. After photographing the collages, he cuts up the 3-D compositions to reuse different elements in other works.

Gordon’s Portrait with a Yellow Window from 2011 not only visualises the digital era while paying tribute to the rich history of photography and collage, but the colours and geometry are reminiscent of the cubist style of artists like Pablo Picasso. For his unique approach to classic genres within the art world such as the still life and the portrait, Daniel Gordon won the Foam Paul Huf Award 2014.