Ralph Gibson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ralph Gibson
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| Born | January 16, 1939 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Photography |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Jane Marcasiano |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship |
Ralph Gibson (born January 16, 1939) is a famous American photographer. He is well-known for his amazing photography books. His pictures often show small parts of things, creating a mysterious feeling. He puts images together in a way that tells a story, sometimes making them look a bit dreamlike or surreal.
Contents
Early Life and Photography Training
Ralph Gibson joined the United States Navy in 1956. He became a Photographers Mate and studied photography until 1960. After that, he continued his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1960 to 1962.
He started his professional career helping other famous photographers. From 1961 to 1962, he worked as an assistant to Dorothea Lange. Later, he helped Robert Frank make two films between 1967 and 1968.
Ralph Gibson's Photography Work
Ralph Gibson has always loved books and making them. Since 1970, when his book The Somnambulist came out, he has focused on getting his photos printed in books. In 1969, Gibson moved to New York City. There, he started his own publishing company called Lustrum Press. This allowed him to control how his photos looked when they were printed. Lustrum Press also published Tulsa by Larry Clark in 1971.
His photographs are now in more than 150 museum collections around the world. They have been shown in hundreds of exhibitions. He even has his own private museum in Busan, Korea, called the Goeun Museum of Photography. For almost 50 years, he has used Leica M 35mm rangefinder cameras for his work.
Books That Inspired Him
The New York Times once asked Ralph Gibson about the photography books that inspired him the most. He suggested five very important works:
- Vision of Paris by Eugene Atget
- American Photographs by Walker Evans
- Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
- The Americans by Robert Frank
- Ballet by Alexey Brodovitch
Special Projects and Collaborations
Ralph Gibson has also worked on special projects. The Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta asked him to photograph models Raquel Zimmermann and Mathias Lauridsen. He took these photos in Milan for their fall/winter 2013 advertisements.
One of his photos, Hand Through a Doorway, was used on the inside cover of the 1979 album Unknown Pleasures. This album was by the UK rock band Joy Division. In August 1966, Gibson also created a special set of prints of the Beatles for a book that was planned for Capitol Records.
In the summer of 2016, Gibson showed a new series of color photographs. This collection was called Vertical Horizon and was displayed at the opening of the Galerie Thierry Bigaignon.
Personal Life
Ralph Gibson currently lives in New York City with his wife, Mary Jane Marcasiano. She is a fashion designer. He often travels to Europe and Brazil.
Awards and Recognition
Ralph Gibson has received many awards for his photography. Some of these include:
- 1973: National Endowment for the Arts fellowship
- 1975: National Endowment for the Arts fellowship
- 1977: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Berlin
- 1977: New York State Council on the Arts (C.A.P.S.) fellowship
- 1985: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
- 1986: Decorated as an Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government
- 1986: National Endowment for the Arts fellowship
- 1988: Leica Medal of Excellence Award
- 1989: "150 Years of Photography" Award, Photographic Society of Japan
- 1991: Honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Maryland
- 1994: Grande Medaille de la Ville d'Arles
- 1998: Honorary doctorate from the Ohio Wesleyan University
- 2002: Appointed Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government
- 2007: Lucie Award for lifetime achievement in Fine Art.
- 2015: Guild Hall Academy of the Arts Lifetime Award
- 2018: Appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
- 2023: Royal Photographic Society Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship.
Museum Collections
Ralph Gibson's work is held in many public and private art collections around the world. Nearly 50 universities in the USA have his photographs in their collections. In New York City alone, six major museums have many of his photos. These include the MoMA, the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, the Brooklyn Museum, and the George Eastman House in Rochester.
His photographs can also be found in many other American museums. You can also see his work in collections in Australia, Japan, Israel, Germany, Italy, France, and other countries.
Some of the notable museums that collect his work are:
- Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
- University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Missouri
- Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, Nashville
- International Center of Photography (ICP), New York
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Museum of Modern Art, NewYork
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
- International Photography Hall of Fame, St. Louis
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Ralph Gibson Museum, Busan, South Korea
Exhibitions
Ralph Gibson's work has been featured at the Rencontres d'Arles festival many times. He presented his photographs there in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1989, and 1994.
See also
In Spanish: Ralph Gibson para niños
