Ralph Gibson began taking pictures while in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, and later assisted Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank before establishing his own studio in New York. His work is widely exhibited and held in public collections around the world, such as the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. His books include The Somnambulist, Déjà-vu,, Days at Sea and Ralph Gibson: Self-Exposure. The recipient of NEA and Guggenheim grants, Gibson was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2002. He lives and works in New York.
I've kept journals all my life in an attempt to write about how I'm working, what I'm working on, how it's going, hoping to be able to enhance my creative process. It's interesting that you call your show The Creative Process because these are two words that are constantly in the foreground of my concern...
Whatever I do, quite often I say– Is this good for my work? Should I go here? Should I do that? When I had my initial debut, I became known for a book called The Somnambulist. I took 24 of those pictures in one weekend and then I worked for three years on the next 24.
This interview was conducted by Mia Funk with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Joey McGlone. Digital Media Coordinator is Yu Young Lee. “Winter Time” was composed by Nikolas Anadolis and performed by the Athenian Trio.
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Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process.