The Vertical Horizon

December 4, 2017

Ralph Gibson’s work is distinguished by a subtle fusion of content and form, the distinctive relationship between surfaces and lines, and the perfect application of shadow and light.
His work is distinguished by a subtle fusion of content and form, the distinctive relationship between surfaces and lines, and the perfect application of shadow and light. Added to this is the artist’s confident use of colour.
These traits are also reflected in Ralph Gibson’s latest project, The Vertical Horizon, created over the course of the past two years. Excerpts from the series are featured in the current issue 8/17 of LFI.
A 135mm f /3.4 Apo-Telyt-M on a Leica M10 formed the technical basis of the project, which was shot entirely in portrait format. Once again, the artist’s precise selection of the frame gives rise to compelling visual abstractions. “I want my pictures to be non-eventful, to exist in an open-ended frame. The abstraction in my work is clearly located in this idea,” the photographer explains.
The fact that music has long been one of his creative pursuits adds another element to Gibson’s work. In fact, he believes that “reality is to photography what melody is to music.” This close affinity between music and photography can be explored further on the artist’s homepage, and in this interview.
The images comprised in The Vertical Horizon are connected by a cohesive look – or, perhaps, sound – even though they were taken in many different countries. And indeed, Gibson has stated that despite his many travels, his photographs “all look like they were taken around the corner from my studio in NYC.”

Starting on January 18, 2018, Ralph Gibson‘s The Vertical Horizon is exhibited at Leica Galerie Salzburg.
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The Vertical Horizon