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| Irving Penn snippet |
| Irving Penn was among the first photographers to pose subjects
against a simple grey or white backdrop and used this simplicity more
effectively than other photographers. Penn brought an unprecedented sense of
drama to his portraits, driving the viewer's focus onto the person and their
expression. Subjects photographed with this technique included Martha
Graham, Marcel Duchamp, and Georgia O'Keeffe, W.H. Auden, Igor
Stravinsky, and Marlene Dietrich. |
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| Irving Penn |
| Irving Penn (b. 16 June 1917) is an American photographer, born in
New Jersey. Known primarily for his fashion photography, Penn's work
shows a unique vision and a wide range of subjects. |
| Penn worked for many years doing fashion photography for Vogue
magazine. He was among the first photographers to pose subjects against
a simple grey or white backdrop and used this simplicity more
effectively than other photographers. Expanding his austere studio
surroundings, Penn constructed a set of upright angled backdrops, to
form a stark, acute corner. Posing his subjects within this tight,
unorthodox space, Penn brought an unprecedented sense of drama to his
portraits, driving the viewer's focus onto the person and their
expression. In many photos, the subjects appeared wedged into the
corner. Subjects photographed with this technique included Martha
Graham, Marcel Duchamp, and Georgia O'Keeffe, W.H. Auden, Igor
Stravinsky, and Marlene Dietrich. |
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