This is one of the best things I've seen in photography in a very long time. Ralph Gibson, without a doubt, is one of the greatest of our time. This shows him to be a great thinker, a great artist, and a great teacher/presenter. thank you for this and I can't wait for the next installment.
The wealth of knowledge you have and the artist you interview truly inspiring. Makes what work I do all the more worth it when I see interviews like this. Forge onward in your artistic quest and enlighten and enrich us all Mr Forbes.
Forty eight years in the photographic hobby, with seminars, photography institute learning, museums, photo clubs, hundreds and hundreds of books, magazines - especially Life and National Geographic - internet videos, active forum memberships, friends in the hobby, bizarre amounts of money spent on GAS and this still going strong, and solo journeys with just the camera, the lens and me, and yet I still learned something from this video and from Ralph Gibson - the photographer, the image and the context.
Did anyone notice that Ralph's eyes did not age? Perhaps they'll never age! The tenaciousness and curiosity are still very much visible, even at this ripe and mellow age of 83. What an inspiration he is!
One of your best photographer’s documentary Ted. For that we have to thank you Ted who asked the right questions and M. Gibson whose answers were as good as his body of work. Just love the path that M. Gibson has taken to be true to himself.
Ted, what a great interview! I have been an admirer of Ralph Gibson since I was first introduced to his work in college in 1983. Yeah, I'm a bit old. His book "Quadrants" really guided me in my early career. Wow, his approach to creating photo books is incredible. I will rewatch this video many times. Thanks for bringing Ralph to RU-vid, and the masses in general. When asked about my own work I tell people to look at Ralph Gibson's work, that is my point of departure.
Wonderful interview, Ted. Always enjoy listening to Ralph talk about his work, his process, and his vision. He is a master. Can't wait for Refractions 2!
Ted, you produce the most interesting, though provoking, informative content. What a great resource for anyone interested in photography. This is a great interview.
Ted you’ve outdone yourself. Can’t wait to see the next part and why in gods name don’t these kind of interviews make Netflix? I’m serious. This has story telling and all the right telling to make it a whole series. RU-vid really should be honored.
Thanks Ted, and of course, thanks Ralph. I've planned to self-publish and this strengthens my resolve to do so. Implicit in this is the need to self-curate (the most challenging aspect of photography IMHO), and produce prints for me. If others like them, so much the better, but if not, not a problem.
Ted! you are a great man! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Thank you for making this... Ralph Gibson is one of my main heroes in photography and my main source of inspiration. Not just because of his work but because of his knowledge and the way that he explains photography-related matters. Can't wait for the rest of this series.
A very thought provoking interview Ted. Context is so important. The female torso description he gave was a great example. I’m very much enjoying reading about Saul Leiter at the moment as I started out shooting slide film many many years ago now. B&W/ colour, I love them both. Always a pleasure watching your documentaries about fine art photographers and street photographers of the past and present.
Thanks for the video. I have admired Ralph's work for as long as I can remember. This video prompted me to pull out my copies of The Somnambulist and The Black Trilogy. BTW, I am familiar with Brilliant who also printed Mark De Paolo's most recent book and they live up to their name. I'm anxiously awaiting Ralph's new book, Sacred Land, which I just ordered.
This is the kind of video I really enjoy. Honestly, In recent times, I haven't looked at this channel that often anymore. When the historical and educational videos about great works and photographers ended, there was only gear left and things that felt arbitrary. This is what I would love to see regularly again. It doesn't have to be such a huge interview, but what about the Artist Series, for example, or maybe even more importantly the "Photographers" playlist? Please.
Ok Ive been out of the loop with your channel, I am so jealous! Ralp is my literal favorite photographer, and when I was in grad school shooting roll after roll after roll I used to look at this books for inspirations on my own prints.
Fantastic video. Context is a subject I think a lot about. I’m working on some videos about it as well. It’s something every artist should take into consideration.
Great interview. Quick question (and I hope this doesn’t come across as critical): if context is simply relying on words or the relationship between images and words, doesn’t the image then become subservient to the word or caption that goes with it? In other words, if words control how we see what we see, doesn’t it strip the agency and power of the image itself? It seems to me more of a game of catchy titles than imagery.
"Most photographers don't edit with that degree of total fascism." Now THERE'S a quote for the ages. My wife keeps telling me to do a calendar. Calendar, schmalendar. Books are what make legacies.
If you don't like your own work then either get better or get out of the system. Most of us will never get published on a large scale but if you are proud of your work then you can publish your work yourself as Mr. Gibson did.
