Secret of Light

The comprehensive showcase ‘Secret of Light’ gives insight into the remarkable oeuvre of Leica photographer Ralph Gibson (* 1939), tracing its evolution from the 1960s to the present day. Curated by Dr. Sabine Schnakenberg in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition encompasses some 300 images – captured both analogue and digitally, in colour and black and white. In addition to images from the artist’s own archive, the showcase also features prints from the private collection of F.C. Gundlach, who acquired a number of Gibson’s works in the early 1980s. The exhibition will be on display at Hamburg’s Haus der Photographie (located at the Deichtorhallen exhibition centre) from April 21 to August 20, 2023.

Ralph Gibson counts as one of the most intriguing American photographers of our time, best known for his fine-art photographs exploring the surreal visual nature of the subconscious. His extraordinary images have been exhibited worldwide, and are represented in the collections of leading museums – including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, or the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, to name but a few. The artist is also renowned for his carefully sequenced monographs, which include landmark publications such as ‘The Somnambulist’ or ‘Days at Sea’.

In November 2021, Ralph Gibson received the Leica Hall of Fame Award in honour of his life’s work.

A comprehensive portfolio of the artist’s work can be found in LFI 8/2021.