Born 1946, is an American photographer best known for his influential artist’s books and publications that explore overlooked aspects of the urban environment. His work frequently addresses abandoned and marginal spaces—such as vacant land, debris, and graffiti—as well as broader themes including surveillance, memory, and the relationship between architecture and power.

Life and Career

John Gossage was born in 1946 on Staten Island, New York City. He developed an early interest in photography, leaving school at the age of sixteen to study privately with Lisette Model, Alexey Brodovitch, and Bruce Davidson. He later moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued his studies and received a grant from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, enabling him to remain in the city and further develop his photographic practice.

Gossage has exhibited his work in both solo and group exhibitions since 1963. After several years working with Nazraeli Press, his primary publishers became Loosestrife Editions and Steidl.

In 2010, Steidl published The Thirty-Two Inch Ruler / The Map of Babylon, two companion volumes bound together that marked the first publication of Gossage’s color photographs. The Thirty-Two Inch Ruler focuses on the neighborhood in which he lives in Washington, D.C., an area characterized by embassies, ambassadorial residences, and the private homes of individuals in positions of political and economic power. The project was prompted in part by the arrival of a new neighbor, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. During the same period, Gossage photographed abroad, including in Germany and China; these images were published in The Map of Babylon.

In addition to his photographic work, Gossage has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park, and has curated several photographic exhibitions. He lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Reference List

John Gossage. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gossage