Ralph Gibson: Chiaroscuro – Selected Works from Italy and France

September 19 – December 27, 2025

Chiaroscuro features selected photographs from France and Italy by Ralph Gibson, a luminary in the world of photography. His studies in photography began at age 17. He enlisted in the United States Navy and worked as a photographer’s mate. Gibson states, “Learning photography in the Navy gave me an extremely strong technical background. There, it was all about resolution and sharpness and gray scale.” He later studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and then worked with internationally acclaimed photographers Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank. 

In this exhibition Gibson elevates often overlooked objects and locations to capture moments where light creates drama and mystery. Chiaroscuro, the Italian term which means “light/dark”, is a fitting title for the exhibition. The photographer skillfully uses the contrast between shadow and light to accentuate forms and create evocative, bold images. Through Gibson’s eye, settings and people are imbued with a sense of mystery and intrigue. Some images exude a timelessness, while others border on the surreal. 

Gibson’s photographs are in prestigious collections around the world including the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art, both in New York; the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland; the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris; and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, among many other institutions.