Irving Penn died today. He was 92.When he was young, he wanted to become a painter and in 1938 graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts). He wasn't very good though. However, in the 1930s he began creating personal photographs. And by 1943, he was hired as an assistant photographer at Vogue moving his way up and shooting over 150 covers for the magazine. He became one of the first photographers to marry commercial photography with art. No matter what subject he photographed -- from a model to a cigarette butt -- he isolated it with close-up graphic precision. The result icons, not just images.
Although he was known to mistrust perfect beauty, somehow he created it casting all things he photographed with a beautifully soft, even light. His subjects... casual and fluid and comfortable.
Met Museum Dynamic yet restrained. Quiet and serene.
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Veiled Face (Evelyn Tripp), 1949He discarded all of the narrative trappings. He created an expressive visual vocabulary so unique. And when we, the viewer, gaze upon his images, they seem all our own.
9 comments:
Such a beautiful post-I have always been fascinated by his still lifes GT
We're thinking alike!
Lovely tribute on both your blogs. The genius to take away all the unnecessary, the eye and talent to make it intimate and new. The Veiled Face of 1949 (my birth year) looks much more timeless than I do) taken 60 years ago, still looks fresh but in its own time zone. Hugs to Billy on this cold rainy fall day.
Home nice comment: "intimate and new"...
(Billy is hiding in a dark corner right now because of the rain with a full bladder. Refuses to go outside if there is a drop of rain in the sky. You would think he would be used to it living the first few years of his life always outside.)
That is a gorgeous dandelion-- such darks and lights and the water drops, ahhh. 'Tis beautiful.
I like the double-breasted coat too--to wear this winter.
I'm glad you shared this with us about Irving Penn, thank you Soodie.
Multi-talented and fabulous photography! A loss indeed.
Great post! I love his portraits!
Greet
No one has mentioned the nude.
Is it because we see an oversized body and don't see the image of soft darks and light?
Anon 9:42, interesting isn't it? I added the image sandwiched in between two 'glamour' shots. It evokes a mood, a feeling more than signaling to us this figure is not of an 'idealized' woman, (post 1920s until today)...
I'm glad you commented.
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