Celebrated and prolific American art photographer Ralph Gibson HonFRPS joins RPS President Simon Hill HonFRPS in conversation in an exclusive RPS livestream on Monday, 27 May 2024.
Gibson began his career as an assistant to Dorothea Lange (Migrant Mother, 1936) and went on to work with Robert Frank (The Americans, 1958). His work is characterised by a unique visual signature that presents a narrative through an often surreal juxtaposition of compositional elements in an equally abstract pictorial context achieved by “embracing the abstract in photography and existing on a few bits of order extracted from the chaos of reality."
Perhaps best known for his photographic books, Gibson will discuss his career and approach to the art of photography, looking at the sources of inspiration which include the work of Walker Evans, Robert Frank, and his friend and mentor, Henri Cartier Bresson. The conversation will explore Gibson’s philosophy that “Whatever the mode - from the snapshot to the 'decisive moment’ to multi-media montage - the intent and purpose of photography is to render in visual terms, feelings and experiences that often elude the ability of words to describe.”
Gibson has worked exclusively with Leica M rangefinder cameras for over 50 years and his photographs are included in over one hundred and eighty collections around the world, including the New RPS Collection in Bristol.
Audience members will have the opportunity to engage with Gibson during a Q&A session, where they can pose questions about his career, his working practices - which often includes the self-imposed constraint of working with a single camera and lens for several years - and his thoughts on the philosophy of photography.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to gain insights from one of the most influential art photographers and prolific photo book publishers of our time.
To book a place on this special event click here.
Ralph Gibson’s latest book, a substantially revised edition of Deus Ex Machina, is published in the Autumn by Taschen.
Images: (top): Ralph Gibson, "Bastienne's eye", 1987; (below, right): "Afternoon of the Artist, 2003. Both part of the New RPS Collection, Bristol.