Readers, today is a sad day as we mourn the passing of a true artist, the late, great Irving Penn.
At 92, the man who revolutionized fashion photography in the most simplistic way was found dead in his New York City home.
At 92, the man who revolutionized fashion photography in the most simplistic way was found dead in his New York City home.
Penn had a long, celebrated career photographing the famous and fashionable, making a name for himself as a minimalist and championing the art of black and white.
His career began when he joined the ranks at Vogue in 1943, but, as fate seems to work, he stumbled into the job that he would make so famous, accidently. Forgoing his dream to become a painter, he took a position in the magazine’s art department and though staff members discouraged his naturalistic approach, one supervisor encouraged his talent and gave him an assignment.
That assignment became the October 1st, 1943 cover of Vogue; a still-life portrait of a brown leather bag and beige scarf with gloves, oranges and lemons arranged in the shape of a pyramid.
It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the magazine and Penn further developed a style that placed models and fashion accessories against clean backdrops. It was a radical departure at a time when most fashion photographers posed their subjects in busy settings that drew attention away from the clothes themselves.
The approach made him a star at the magazine, where his work eventually appeared on as many as 300 pages annually and 150 covers total. He has photographed some of the most influential people of the century, from Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp and Truman Capote, to Lauren Hutton, Linda Evangelista and Nicole Kidman.
It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the magazine and Penn further developed a style that placed models and fashion accessories against clean backdrops. It was a radical departure at a time when most fashion photographers posed their subjects in busy settings that drew attention away from the clothes themselves.
The approach made him a star at the magazine, where his work eventually appeared on as many as 300 pages annually and 150 covers total. He has photographed some of the most influential people of the century, from Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp and Truman Capote, to Lauren Hutton, Linda Evangelista and Nicole Kidman.
Though Penn focused less on fashion photography as he grew older, he never abandoned it, and if there were ever any doubts as to his influence in the world of fashion photography, such disputes were settled by fashion writer Kennedy Fraser in 1992:
“His shots of the Paris couture in 1950 and 1951, are cultural icons. They convey a knowledge of history, composition, and form; a respect for the beauty of women and the expressive quality of dress that has rarely been matched. There’s a feel for the moment that’s almost too intense to bear.”
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