Renowned American art photographer Ralph Gibson will appear at Carleton College and present a public lecture about his work on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Weitz Center for Creativity Room 136. Titled “The Next Step: A Retrospective Showing of Selected Works From 1960-2016,” Gibson’s presentation will encompass works from various chapters throughout his prolific career. A reception with light refreshments will follow. This event is free and open to the public.
Gibson’s appearance is in conjunction with an exhibit of his work, “The Art of The Detail: Ralph Gibson,” now on display through Feb. 28 in the Erling O. and Geneva E. Johnson Room (148) of the Weitz Center for Creativity. The photographs in the exhibit were donated to the Carleton College Art Collection by Arthur ’68 and Betty Kowaloff, generous sponsors of this event.
Born in Los Angeles in 1939, Ralph Gibson studied photography in the U.S. Navy, and following his discharge, he was an assistant to Robert Frank and Dorothea Lange before studying at the San Francisco Art Institute. The Somnambulist, his first major book, was published in 1970 and was followed by Déjà Vu and Days at Sea. These books compose his groundbreaking surrealist trilogy and have sold more than 45,000 copies.
Gibson's photographs are included in over 170 museum collections around the world, and have appeared in hundreds of one-man exhibitions. In November of last year, Gibson presented Finding a Visual Identity in the Digital Age at TEDxFulbrightSantaMonica. He is considered one of the most influential photographers working in America since the 1970s, has received three National Endowment of the Arts Fellowships, and was awarded the Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France.
This event is sponsored by the Perlman Teaching Museum. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4342. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at Third and College Streets in Northfield.
