Seventeen years after the retrospective dedicated to his work at Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and five years after his last exhibition in the city, Ralph Gibson returns to the French capital with an exhibition of 12 never-before-seen colour prints.
Primarily known for his high-contrast monochrome photographs, the American photographer has been working with colour since the advent of digital photography.
At 77, Ralph Gibson is still exploring the balance between representation and abstraction. As critic Thierry Bigaignon says: “Ralph Gibson’s images highlight the idea of boundaries and opposition.
“They’re visual oxymorons, so we decided to title the exhibition Vertical Horizon, which perfectly encapsulates these concepts”.
Gilles Mora, the eminent art historian and critic specialising in American photography, previewed Ralph Gibson’s series, writing: “Ralph Gibson is without doubt the most European of American photographers, and knows our culture perfectly.
“His mastery of composition, halfway between graphic artwork and abstraction, has never precluded the sensuality which is the particular trademark of his photographs. It is time to rediscover Ralph Gibson.”
The date of the inaugural exhibition takes place 41 years to the day since French art dealer Agathe Gaillard chose to inaugurate her own photography gallery in Paris by exhibiting the work of Ralph Gibson for her opening on 10 June, 1975.
Vertical Horizon, by Ralph Gibson, is exhibited from 10 June to 27 August at the Galerie Thierry Bigaignon, Paris.
