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LE NOIR ET LE BLANC LEGITIME

IRVING PENN

Pendant plus de 90 ans, Irving Penn (1917-2009) a marqué l’histoire de la photographie par ses images de mode, ses natures mortes et ses portraits. Ses cimaises étaient les pages des magazines, surtout et encore Vogue, et sa production photographique très dense, une œuvre que les archivistes de la Fondation ne cesse d’exhumer, avec respect.

 

Cette exposition composée de tirages inédits, mais choisis et tirés sous l’œil acerbe du maître, retrace le destin de cet artiste mu par l’amour de l’art et de ses proches. Ses fameux cubes, ou les steel blocks, ont un lien passionnel avec son fils, Tom, sculpteur et président de la fondation Irving Penn. Sa femme et muse, la fameuse mannequin Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn, lui impose sa beauté et ses angles de prise de vue, la photo de mode devient portrait. Ses natures mortes relèvent de la magie et de l’icône religieuse.

 

À quoi se mesure le talent ? À son évidence et à sa simplicité, aurait pu répondre Irving Penn, un perfectionniste qui n’a jamais oublié que la photographie venait de la lumière, magique ! Il fut aussi un des rares de sa génération a envisager le tirage comme l’œuvre ultime, prenant un soin particulier à ses papiers et techniques, les gris n’ont jamais eu autant de subtilités, le noir et blanc sa légitimité et la couleur sa vraie nature.

La presse en parle

IRVING PENN

Christmas Gift Fashion - Jean Patchett, New York, 1949

gelatin silver print

image, 7 15/16 x 7 9/16 inches
paper, 8 1/4 x 7 7/8 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 11
print made 1984

IRVING PENN

Girl Behind Glass (Jean Patchett), New York, 1949

vintage gelatin silver print mounted to board

image and paper, 15 1/2 x 15 1/8 inches
mount, 20 x 16 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 12
print made near to date of photograph

IRVING PENN

Regine in a Balenciaga Suit (A), Paris, 1950

gelatin silver print

image, 7 3/8 x 7 3/8 inches
paper, 10 x 8 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 22
print made 1984

IRVING PENN

Dorian Leigh - Yoga (D), New York, 1946

vintage gelatin silver print mounted to board

image and paper, 8 7/8 x 6 3/4 inches
mount, 14 x 11 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 4
print made 1946

IRVING PENN

Woman in Moroccan Palace (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Morocco, 1951

gelatin silver print toned in selenium and mounted to board

image and paper, 15 1/2 x 15 1/4 inches
mount, 19 x 19 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 40
print made 1992

IRVING PENN

Women in Wartime (Dorian Leigh and Evelyn Tripp), New York, 1950

gelatin silver print mounted to board

image and paper, 18 5/8 x 18 1/2 inches
mount, 21 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 16
print made 1984

IRVING PENN

Girl Drinking (B) (Mary Jane Russell), New York, 1949

vintage gelatin silver print mounted to board

image and paper, 17 5/16 x 15 9/16 inches
mount, 18 1/2 x 16 7/8 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 5
print made 1949

IRVING PENN

Vogue Christmas Cover (Jean Patchett), New York, 1949

gelatin silver print

image, 8 3/8 x 7 5/8 inches
paper, 9 x 8 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 11
print made 1984

IRVING PENN

Woman with Handkerchief (Jean Patchett), New York, 1951

gelatin silver print mounted to board

image, 13 1/8 x 13 3/16 inches
paper and mount, 18 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 16
print made 1984

IRVING PENN

Vogue Fashion Photograph in Morocco (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn on pillows), 1951

vintage gelatin silver print mounted to board

image, 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 inches
paper, 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
mount, 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 8
print made 1951

IRVING PENN

Vogue Fashion Photograph (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn) (B), New York, 1949

gelatin silver print toned in selenium and mounted to board

image, 13 x 12 3/4 inches
paper and mount, 15 1/2 x 14 3/4 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and ink

from an edition of 6
print made 1990

IRVING PENN

Parade, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 1/2 x 18 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #10/16
print made 1981

IRVING PENN

Blast, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 1/8 x 19 5/16 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #27/44
print made 1981

IRVING PENN

Three Sections, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #29/30
print made 1980

IRVING PENN

Construction (without bolt), New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 3/8 x 16 9/16 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #21/28
print made 1980

IRVING PENN

Arrangement of Fifteen Pieces, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 1/4 x 19 1/8 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #52/53
print made 1980

IRVING PENN

Metropolis, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 3/8 x 19 1/2 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #9/15
print made 1980

IRVING PENN

Iron Couple, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 5/16 x 15 9/16 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #7/17
print made 1981

IRVING PENN

Collapse, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 1/4 x 19 5/16 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #14/23
print made 1981

IRVING PENN

Three Steel Blocks, New York, 1980

platinum palladium print mounted to aluminum

image, 11 3/8 x 19 inches
paper and mount, 16 x 24 inches

signed, titled, dated and annotated verso with stamps and pencil

edition #28/34
print made 1981

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