Ralph Gibson (b.1939) learned his photography in the US Navy and further pursued the medium at the San Francisco Art Institute.
In the early 1960’s Gibson became assistant to Dorothea Lange and later, after moving to New York worked with Robert Frank on two of his films, launching his professional career.
In 1970, having a strong interest in books and book-making, he founded his publishing company, Lustrum Press and went on to create his trilogy, The Somnambulist, Deja Vu, and Days at Sea which were instant hits and helped solidify his presence in 20th century photography.
Gibson’s photographs are in many important museum collections and have been shown in hundreds of exhibitions across the globe.
His awards include a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, Lucie Lifetime Award and the Leica Hall of Fame, among many others. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Maryland and Ohio Wesleyan University. In 2018 he was appointed Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur de France.
