ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Ralph Gibson's 'The Somnambulist' Revisited in Artpress Dossier

publication · 2026-04-24

In 1970, Ralph Gibson published his first photobook, 'The Somnambulist', in New York. At the time, his only references were having been an assistant to Dorothea Lange and a friend of Robert Frank, who gave him his camera equipment. The article, part of Artpress's 'How to See a Photo' dossier, examines Gibson's work as a 'sleepwalker' photographer.

Key facts

  • Ralph Gibson published 'The Somnambulist' in 1970
  • The book was his first photobook
  • Gibson was an assistant to Dorothea Lange
  • Robert Frank gave Gibson his camera equipment
  • The article appears in Artpress magazine
  • The article is part of a dossier titled 'Comment voir la photo ?'
  • Gibson is described as 'le dormeur éveillé' (the awake sleeper)
  • The publication date of the article is November 1986

Entities

Artists

  • Ralph Gibson
  • Dorothea Lange
  • Robert Frank

Institutions

  • Artpress

Locations

  • New York

Sources