Irving Penn . Centennial
C/O Berlin is presenting the exhibition Irving Penn – Centennial, from March 24 to July 01, 2018.
Irving Penn (1917 – 2009) was one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. With a body of work stretching from portraits of Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich, Alfred Hitchcock, to abstract female nudes, exquisite still-lifes, elegant studies of flowers and cigarettes, to portraits of children in traditional Peruvian dress, New guinea natives, or French pâtissiers. Penn was an unparalleled master of nude, fashion, still-life and portrait photography, and a leading figure in contemporary photography and art for over six decades. His unique style remains influential to this day and his impact on numerous successors is undeniable.
Irving Penn started working as a graphic designer for Vogue in 1943 and shot his first cover in the same year. More than 160 additional covers and numerous fashion photographies for Vogue followed. Alongside his ethnographic studies that resulted from his interest in the human image and his travels to Peru, New Guinea and Morocco, Penn created portraits of a number of internationally known figures from the worlds of art, film, literature and music. Whether Salvador Dalí, Audrey Hepburn, or Yves Saint Laurent – he always photographed his subjects against a neutral backdrop. For his first large series of portraits, Penn constructed a corner from two upright stage flats, and through this delimitation of space, a sense of familiarity and intimacy was created with the person in front of his camera. He convinced his subject to pose in unusual ways or challenged them to take a risk.
His sensitivity to the significance of the everyday, the beauty in ‘ugliness’, and simplicity allowed him to continually produce new and original still-lifes and graphic compositions, and especially those reflecting his fascination with photography, love of details, masterful play with light, and the objects in front of his camera. Irving Penn ennobled his subjects, whether they were human beings or inanimate objects – he made each one special. Penn originally wanted to become a painter – and even when his love for photography took over, he kept the painter’s gaze.
His photographs are infused with clarity, elegance, perfection, and a flawless beauty. And this might be why the exhibition works so well in Berlin – the minimal, clean architecture of the building seems to correspond with each photo. C/O Berlin is commemorating this exceptional photographer with a major retrospective on the centenary of his birth. Featuring around 240 works, it was organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with the Irving Penn foundation. It is the first exhibition of Irving Penn’s work in twenty years.
C/O Berlin. Amerika Haus, Hardenbergstr. 22–24, Berlin-Charlottenburg. Open daily 11-8.
Framework program
Lecture A Man for All Seasons: Irving Penn in the Context of His Times. 19.4.18 / 8:30pm
Curator’s Guided Tours: 12.4.18 / 6pm, 20.4.18 / 6pm
Regular Public Guided Tours: Every Saturday and Sunday 2pm and 4pm in German language. Every Saturday 6pm in English language
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