- You may be looking for Ralph Gibson (fighter pilot)
Ralph "Hoot" D. Gibson was an American flying ace of the Korean War. He became the nation's third jet fighter ace with a total tally of five downed MiG-15 fighters. He also flew in the Vietnam War, and was a former lead pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds.-Early life:Gibson was born in 1924, in...
Ralph Gibson (b. January 16, 1939,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, California) is an American art
photographerA photographer is a person who takes photographs using a camera. A professional photographer uses photography to make a living whilst an amateur photographer does not earn a living and typically takes photographs for pleasure and to record an event, place or person for future enjoyment.A...
best known for his photographic books. His images often incorporate fragments with erotic and mysterious undertones, building narrative meaning through contextualization and
surrealSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
juxtaposition.
Gibson has received fellowships from the
National Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
(1973, 1975, 1986), a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (D.A.A.D.) Exchange, Berlin (1977), a New York State Council of the Arts (C.A.P.S.) fellowship (1977), and the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial FoundationThe John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
(1985).
He was decorated as an Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1986) and appointed, Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2002) by the French government.
His awards include: Leica Medal of Excellence Award (1988), "150 Years of Photography" Award, Photographic Society of Japan (1989), a Grande Medaille de la Ville d'Arles (1994) and the Lucie Award for life time achievement (2007).
Gibson also received an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the
University of MarylandThe University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland...
(1991), and a second honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the Ohio Wesleyan University (1997).
Gibson currently lives in New York and travels frequently to Europe and Brazil.
Selected works
- The Somnambulist Lustrum Press, 1970; part 1 of a trilogy
- Déjà-Vu Lustrum Press, 1973, part 2 of a trilogy
- Days at Sea Lustrum Press, 1975, part 3 of a trilogy
- Syntax (1983)
- Tropism (1987)
- L'Anonyme (1987)
- L'Histoire de France (1991), introduction by Marguerite Duras.
- State of the Axe: Guitar Masters in Photographs and Words (2008), Museum Fine Arts Houston, Foreword by Anne Wilkes Tucker; Preface by Les Paul.
- Gluggengligen: Focus Like a Pro