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CONTREJOUR
Ralph Gibson: Passé Imparfait
Preface by Gilles Mora.
This volume surveys the early days of Ralph Gibson’s career in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, from 1960 to 1970. Gibson’s San Francisco years (1960–63) saw the photographer testing out his sensual, meditative style, inspired by street photographers such as Robert Frank (whose assistant he would later become). Photographs from this phase include shots of pool halls and shop windows. By 1963, Gibson was eager to begin a career as a professional photographer, and he returned to Los Angeles to find work. He recalls, “I would show my portfolio to potential clients and would hear the same words over and over again: ‘This stuff belongs in museums, kid, it’s not commercial....’ Well, I guess they were right.” Gibson’s Los Angeles images (1963–66) include his Sunset Strip photographs, which led to the first of many monographs. It was also around this time that Gibson was commissioned to photograph the press conference for the Beatles’ Revolver album, and informal shots of the mop tops are included in this chapter. The third section of the book is devoted to Gibson’s early New York years (1967–70), with several nudes and street scenes.
Featured photograph, made in San Francisco between 1960 and 1963, is reproduced from Ralph Gibson: Passé Imparfait.
"Time changes everything. Time changes photographers and now I ask how time has changed these photographs. This is better left for the viewer to decide. This book cannot begin to answer such a question because from the first to the last page this book seems to be devoted to defining the questions of a young man. So we might say that every photograph is a question asked in visual terms...
Nothing is said, only asked."
FORMAT: Hbk, 8.5 x 12.75 in. / 112 pgs / 96 duotone. LIST PRICE: U.S. $49.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $60 ISBN: 9791090294059 PUBLISHER: Contrejour AVAILABLE: 8/31/2012 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of print AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: *not available
This volume surveys the early days of Ralph Gibson’s career in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, from 1960 to 1970. Gibson’s San Francisco years (1960–63) saw the photographer testing out his sensual, meditative style, inspired by street photographers such as Robert Frank (whose assistant he would later become). Photographs from this phase include shots of pool halls and shop windows. By 1963, Gibson was eager to begin a career as a professional photographer, and he returned to Los Angeles to find work. He recalls, “I would show my portfolio to potential clients and would hear the same words over and over again: ‘This stuff belongs in museums, kid, it’s not commercial....’ Well, I guess they were right.” Gibson’s Los Angeles images (1963–66) include his Sunset Strip photographs, which led to the first of many monographs. It was also around this time that Gibson was commissioned to photograph the press conference for the Beatles’ Revolver album, and informal shots of the mop tops are included in this chapter. The third section of the book is devoted to Gibson’s early New York years (1967–70), with several nudes and street scenes.
