Ralph Gibson. Nude

Perfectly Intimate. The infinite subtlety of the female form

Master photographer Ralph Gibson returns with an exquisite collection of nudes, combining the best of his work with an in-depth interview by Eric Fischl. Strikingly graphic, meticulously composed, and loaded with subtle provocations, Gibson’s mysterious, dreamlike images pay homage to such greats as Man Ray and Edward Weston, while continually pursuing new frontiers.

Sensual and softly surreal, the nude photography of Ralph Gibson frames the female form both organically and graphically, referencing art history while also innovating in the arena of erotic imagery, at once summoning visceral sensation and calling out for tactile attention. Thumb through this exquisite tribute to the contours and curves of womanhood and experience the intimacy of the photographic lens.

Reviving TASCHEN’s sold-out Collector’s Edition, this tribute gathers the best of Gibson’s exquisite nudes alongside some of his most recent works in an accessible, revised format, complete with a fresh in-depth interview by Eric Fischl. Strikingly graphic, meticulously composed, and loaded with subtle provocations, the master photographer’s mysterious, dreamlike images pay homage to greats such as Man Ray and Edward Weston, while continually pursuing new frontiers.

"A photographer once said that beauty in women is endless. Perhaps it was I who said it. [...] I love photographing women and could say that the form of the female body is absolute and perfect." —Ralph Gibson

The photographer:

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. The recipient of NEA and Guggenheim grants, Gibson was made a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2002.

The author:

Eric Fischl is an internationally renowned figurative painter and sculptor. Born in New York and educated in Arizona and California, he is currently based in the New York area with his wife, painter April Gornik.