Ralph Gibson: Brasil

Ralph Gibson: Brasil

About the AuthorBorn in Los Angeles in 1939, Ralph Gibson is a renowned photographer, editor, teacher, and publisher. He assisted Robert Frank and Dorothea Lange and has collaborated with many of the masters of photography. His publishing house, Lustrum Press, produced some of the seminal books of the twentieth century, including Robert Frank's The Lines of My Hand, Danny Seymour's A Loud Song, and Larry Clark's Tulsa. His work can be found in many major photographic collections around the world.With the intimacy that has become his trademark during a photographic practice covering more than 40 years, Ralph Gibson now captures Brazil in all its carnivalesque splendor. Here are the vibrant colors, both natural and manmade, of the tropics; the beating sun on the beaches and the beating drums of a joyous band; and, of course, the faces and figures of that country's famously exhibitionistic women. Gibson's photographs have often focused, with unusual sharpness, on a single geometric element (the corner of a room, for instance) or a single human gesture (the curve of a hand). Now his remarkable eye picks up on the neck of a guitar, framed against the white sands of the beach, a reminder of his exploration of the three dimensional within photography. The chiaroscuro of shadow and white linen evokes his previous black-and-white portraits. And a portrait of a man whose head is obscured by a soccer ball, a witty quote of Magritte, connects with Gibson's lifelong interest in Surrealism.The art, music, and culture of Brazil is growing increasingly popular around the world, and those who want a master's look at this endlessly fascinating land will enjoy this collection of photographs, all of which are published for the first time here.