|
Indepth Arts News:
"Irving Penn: Platinum Prints"
2005-05-19 until 2005-10-02
National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC,
USA
Irving Penn: Platinum Prints, on view June 19 through October 2, 2005, is the first major retrospective examination of renowned American photographer Irving Penn’s platinum prints. The National Gallery of Art is the sole venue for the exhibition. A meticulous craftsman, Penn (born 1917) has experimented extensively with platinum/palladium printing since the early 1960s, transforming his celebrated photographs into independent works of art with remarkably subtle, rich tonal ranges and luxurious textures.
In 2002 and 2003 Penn gave the National Gallery of Art 17 unique collages known as the Platinum Test Materials and 85 platinum/palladium prints as well as archival material. Spanning most of Penn’s innovative career from the 1940s to the late 1980s, this important collection represents all of Penn’s genres: from fashion photographs and still lifes to portraits of some of the 20th century’s most celebrated figures—Pablo Picasso, David Smith, and Colette, for example—and studies of anonymous individuals from around the world. Organized by the National Gallery of Art, the exhibition presents the collages and prints together for the first time.
“This collection eloquently and forcefully demonstrates Penn’s important contributions to American photography, and reveals his ongoing pursuit of perfection in his art,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. “We are grateful to the artist for the scope and generosity of his gift, as well as to the funders who have made this important exhibition possible.”
IMAGE
Irving Penn
Colette, Paris, 1951
Platinum/Paladium Print
19 1/2 x 19 7/16
Related Links:
| | 
|
