Background information
'The Nicknames of Citizens' continues John GOSSAGE’s astute, critical and witty look at his native America; it is the third volume in his ongoing exploration of the country and its people, following 'Should Nature Change' (2019) and 'Jack Wilson’s Waltz'. Whether in California, Indiana or New York, whether his subjects are young artists, non-descript suburbia or a dirt road, his approach is the same. 'Nicknames,' John GOSSAGE writes, 'are mostly a second naming of a person after their true character is known. When a child is born the parents choose a name, if it fits all the way though life it is a lucky guess. Picture-making (mine at least) seems to me like trying to find the correct nickname for something I’ve found existing in the world and photographed. This book and these pictures make that attempt with the country of my birth and its citizens. It will be up to the viewers to decide if the names stick. To be continued...'" (publisher's note, © Steidl Verlag, 2020)