Ralph Gibson.
A photographer and artist... Though personally I'd say they are one and the same. While on our Destinations trip for Discoveries Week, our lovely freshman seminar class went to the Denver Art Museum and visited the photo exhibit Exposure: Photos from the Vault. Out of a number of photographs, Ralph Gibson's "Woman's Face with Shadow" really captured my attention. It was one of the first ones I saw, but it's image remained engrained in my head as I continued to look at the other pieces in the room. What was it that kept that photo on my mind? Was it her compelling and sultry eye? Is it the way the photo embraces her expression? Was it the shadow that perfectly divided that symmetrical face?
I would say it was all of those things, plus the emotion the piece displayed. There is a hidden longing within her whole being, within the whole photo. Gibson manages to express endless philosophical ideals in that one shot - that every human is equally capable to long for something or to enjoy it, for one to have a black side, or a white, for good and evil, ying and yang. Gibson illustrates how within each of us lies a deeper secret that even the best photographer, friend or even perhaps ourself cannot completely figure out. We may have glimpses of it, slivers of the truth, but as the photo implies, it is impossible to fully understand the whole piece, impossible to really realize who we are and what exactly we are capable of. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities - "A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human being is constituted to be a profound secret and mystery to every other." Even within the eye of the beholder, there are mysteries in our lives that will never fully be understood. As Dickens delicately uses words to convey this idea, Gibson starkly uses contrast and shadow to get this thought across.
After looking at some of Gibson's other pieces and reading more about him, I have come to understand that there is a transcending message and visual throughout his work. Many of his pieces cannot just by themselves be fully experienced. Many of his photographs are compiled in books, which he has an huge passion for, where the flow and order of his photography is of upmost importance. His messages are fully complete with them compiled side by side. Spacing and layout within his works help to further the visual gift he relays to the onlooker. For me, Gibson's pieces truly are presents that we are given to enjoy and ponder over - that life will always be mysterious, so embrace it.
"I'm convinced that many of Gibson's images will live on. There's a kinetic disposition about them that transcends the printed image." -Claire Skyes, the Radiance of Ralph Gibson.