Ralph Gibson's career-long passion for the printed page culminates in
his amazing life story
Self-Exposure is the autobiography of celebrated American art
photographer Ralph Gibson. With his 80th birthday on the horizon in
January 2019 and a career spanning over 50 years, Gibson is at a point
of reflection in his life and work and decided to put pen to paper.
Writing in candid prose, Gibson takes the reader through his life and
career from his earliest memories of growing up in California (the son
of a Hollywood director, Gibson's childhood is touched by the old
glamour of the silver screen: the likes of Orson Welles and Rita
Hayworth make appearances) to his time in the navy and his continuous
love affair with photography.
Gibson's memories are filled with rich characters and period details.
Often moving, the narratives of his at times troublesome childhood
provide a rich background to the charismatic artist Gibson has become.
Gibson covers a range of topics such as music, Catholicism, his wife,
Mary Jane, and a long line of fellow artists and photographers such as
Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank. His ruminations on his life so far
display a deep, thoughtful understanding and self-awareness that make
this book a fascinating read in itself as well as an illuminating
companion to his work.
What emerges is an insight into the mind of an incredible, highly
decorated artist. Evocatively illustrated, Self-Exposure presents
Gibson's life story alongside his photographic work. Designed and
produced in close collaboration with Gibson, this large-format
publication--as much a biography as it is an artist's book--is Gibson's
most personal book to date.
Ralph Gibson was born in Los Angeles in 1939. In 1956 he enlisted in
the navy, where he began studying photography. His work is widely
exhibited and held in public collections around the world, such as the
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He
lives and works in New York.
