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V U / I M P R É V U
P H O T O G R A P H Y, T E X T S & M U S I C : R A L P H G I B S O N
J U N E 2 3 R D , 2 0 2 5 ( P R E - O R D E R : M A Y 2 2 N D )
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"Vu, Imprévu", photography, texts, music scores & music by Ralph Gibson.
As a manifesto on music with photography.
Based on an original idea by Thierry Bigaignon:
"In 2017, after spending several hours with Ralph Gibson in his New York studio, I realized that music was just as important to him as photography, and had been for over 70 years!
I naturally proposed a project which would combine his two life-long passions.
The concept was simple: select about fifteen iconic and deeply personal images to Ralph, and compose an original music for each one.
Ralph Gibson embraced the challenge, and less than two years later, the Vu, Imprévu series was born.
This project offers art enthusiasts and collectors a unique opportunity to explore another facet of the American master’s genius.
Celebrated for his groundbreaking visual vocabulary in the 1970s with his Black Trilogy — The Somnambulist (1970), Déjà-Vu (1973), and Days at Sea (1974) — Ralph Gibson is also a talented guitarist. He discovered the guitar at age 13 and picked up a camera four years later. Since then, he has remained an eternal apprentice, believing there is always more to learn from both instruments.
"Vu, Imprévu" presents a rare opportunity to revisit some of Ralph Gibson’s most iconic photographs from a completely new perspective.
The selected photographs, taken between 1968 and 1990, are each paired with a piece of music, specially composed, performed, and recorded by the artist in his New York studio.
For Ralph Gibson, “music is a universal language, and every work of art strives to emulate it. Close your eyes, and a photograph becomes no more than an abstract memory.
Music, on the other hand, cannot be ignored. Ears have no eyelids.”"
Thierry Bigaignon
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Ralph Gibson, born on January 16, 1939, in Hollywood, California, is a revered American photographer renowned for his surrealistic black-and-white images.
The son of the Hollywood film industry (his father was an assistant director to Alfred Hitchcock), Gibson's early exposure to film sets ignited his passion for photography. He studied photography during his tenure in the U.S. Navy and furthered his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. Gibson's professional journey began as an assistant to iconic photographer Dorothea Lange in San Francisco, and later, he assisted on several of Robert Frank's films.
His distinctive style, characterized by high-contrast abstract compositions, often transforms everyday objects into evocative narratives. Gibson's love for books and book-making is evident, with over 40 monographs published to date, including seminal works like "The Somnambulist" (1970) through his own Lustrum Press. His photographs are celebrated in over 200 museum collections globally, with over 250 solo exhibitions.
A multifaceted artist, Gibson has lectured in over 20 countries, received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the U.S. NEA, and been honored with awards such as the Leica Medal of Excellence, the Lucie Award, and the Silver Plume. France has recognized his contributions by bestowing upon him the rank of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2000, and in 2018, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor. In 2019, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame. In 2023, he received the Centenary Gold Medal from the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and was made an Honorary Fellow of the society.
Gibson collaborated with Lou Reed on the film "Red Shirley" and endorsed a limited Leica Monochrom camera edition. He has also explored the fusion of his photographs and music into film and live performances, showcasing his artistic versatility. Ralph Gibson's profound impact on photography remains unparalleled, solidifying his legacy in the annals of art history.
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Initiated by Thierry Bigaignon & IIKKI, between June 2024 and May 2025,
Vu, Imprévu is their dialog.
Photography, Texts, Music Scores & Music by Ralph Gibson
Mastering Simon Lancelot
Design sprflxgrfzmTM
Editing Ralph Gibson
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E D I T I O N
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Book: limited edition to 1000 copies, hand numbered. Special Edition: first 100 copies signed by Ralph Gibson numbered from 01 to 100 + the Vinyl. first edition and only edition (no re-print). hardcover book (22 cm x 27,5 cm), 108 pages, 58 photos and texts printed on Arctic G-Snow 150g/m2. logo, slot and circle embossed, selective UV varnish on back cover.
weight: 0,9 Kg
ISBN: 978-2-9586157-7-2
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Vinyl: limited edition to 100 copies, first pressing and only pressing (no re-press), hand numbered, selective UV varnish (front + back). Cutting lacquer, 12'' silver vinyl, matte outer sleeve + printed on 300gm paper, black inner with empty hole. mastered by Simon Lancelot.
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PRESS ~ REVIEWS
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