Ralph Gibson, TASCHEN

Sensual and softly surreal, the nude photography of Ralph Gibson frames the female form both organically and graphically, referencing art history while also innovating in the arena of erotic imagery. 

• Ralph Gibson (American, b. 1939).
• TASCHEN, 2009.
• An exquisite collection of nudes, combining the best of his recent work with an in-depth interview by Eric Fischl. 
• Numbered and signed by Gibson.
• Edition of 1,000.
• Hardcover in clamshell box, 306 pages.

Known for his sensuous and dreamlike black & whites, Ralph Gibson helped revolutionize the photographic book from a random series of shots to an artform with narrative impact. 

Born in Hollywood, Gibson spent his early days on the sets of Alfred Hitchcock when his father was an assistant director. That exposure to the power of cameras and lights left a deep impression on him and set his path towards a career in photography. Gibson joined the navy in 1956, where he worked for the photography department, headed by Edward Steichen. Afterwards, Gibson studied at the San Francisco Art Institute before assisting Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank.  

With a focus on bookmaking, Gibson first released The Somnambulist, a series of black & white images using shadow and light, sensuous curves and graphic structures. Moving to NYC in 1969, he established the Lustrum Press, where he could exert full control over his publications and released seminal monographs such as Days at Sea and Deja-Vu. Gibson’s work is included in over 150 museums worldwide and he has published 18 books of photography. He has received fellowships from the NEA and Guggenheim, and was recently appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in France.