A Goodbye to Irving Penn
Posted by Darlene Bouchard — 9 Oct 2009
Irving Penn, one of the 20th century’s most prolific and influential photographers, died this week in his Manhattan home at 92. His career spanned decades, but his style remained consistent, timeless, and always relevant. He has left behind admirers from multiple generations who know and respect his art, his life, and his everything else that elevated him to the status of a master in the field.Early in his career Irving Penn differentiated himself radically from other photographers by being the first to place fashion models against a plain backdrop for Vogue Magazine. In the early 1940’s this was a profoundly different approach in fashion photography, and it quickly made him a star of the magazine. He went on to create 150 Vogue Covers over the next 50 years.
Penn’s work focused primarily on people, fashion, and still lifes. Utilizing simple backdrops became his signature style, and it gave his work a timeless quality. Penn may have preferred a simple backdrop, but his work is undeniably complex and full of drama.
Part of what made Penn’s work so amazing was that he was a perfectionist in all aspects of his craft. When making portraits he would photograph his subject relentlessly, often for hours, until they let their guard down. In the 1960’s he taught himself how to use a turn of the century process in the darkroom that relied on platinum instead of silver, which requires precision and immense control. This gave his images the richer and deeper tones he desired, and make his prints highly sought after.
Penn never retired and over his lifetime photographed a broad range of subjects, which gives his life’s work depth and diversity. His most influential photography is of fashion and the famous, though he gave the same love and attention to celebrities as he did to discarded cigarette butts for a still life. His photographs were often ahead of their time, sometimes controversial, but always exceptional. Whether you're a longtime fan of Irving Penn or just discovering him today, he has left behind so many amazing photographs that we all have enough material for inspiration to last a lifetime.
