It seems worth quoting verbatim what Irving Penn says about portrait photography.
The following is from a lecture he gave at the Wellesley College photographic symposium in 1975 ...
"In portrait photography there is something more profound that we seek inside a person, while being painfully aware that a limitation of our medium is that the inside is recordable only insofar as it is apparent on the outside ... I have at times seduced myself into a mystical belief in the penetrative power of the camera, but reflection always brings me back to accepting the picture process as simply the bounce back of light from a momentary arrangement of atoms that are a face. But that is not to say that the power of a tender word, or a clumsy one, to affect those atoms can be overstated. When light and the situation of the portrait picture are found and the sculptural arrangement made, it may be that the word is after all at the heart of the whole thing ... Sensitive people faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face they think is one they would like to share the world. ... Very often what lies behind the facade is rare and more wonderful than the subject kinows or dares to believe."
In regard to portrait photography, such words seem profound and match the gravitas of many of his portraits.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
private view of the Irving Penn exhibition
Having missed the study day of the Irving Penn exhibition currently showing at the National Portrait Gallery in London, I lost no time in booking for the private view. This included a drink and a talk by the curator, Magdalene Keaney, as well as a relatively uncluttered gallery.
The talk by Magdalene Keaney (the quotation marks include her text from the introduction to the book accompanying the exhibition) lasted about 15 minutes and was an introduction to both Penn and the exhibition. The work on show here not surprisingly represents only a small part of his work, concentrating on cultural figures, most of whom were photographed for Vogue. He also did many photographs of ordinary people who were selected on the basis of their occupation; however, the images seen here are of those "people whose ideas and work have shaped our own" and for this reason, they are worth seeing as they strengthen "our understanding of the importance of their accomplishments" . Those represented are artists, writers and musicians rather than those famous for being famous.
The exhibition consists of 120 images, some of them vintage prints which means that they were made at the time the negative was made. All the photographs are in black and white revealing the expressive characteristics of that medium. Often, there are areas of solid black which serve to dramatise form and content yet offer up no detail.
Penn worked for Vogue, once desribed by Avedon as a magazine afraid of anything to do with age and death. Those who knew Penn described him as humble and modest. His work was mostly done in the studio with plain backgrounds notably in a tight corner or on a cloth covered plinth. He used the photographer's tools of light and space while his sitters assumed different usually striking postures; Penn refers to these as sculptural.
Kearney writes that "It is not possible to have a meaningful discussion about the development of portraiture since the 1940's without reference to the work of Irving Penn. He challenged and changed expectations of what a studio portrait can be." This is great praise that lifts Penn from his status as photographer to that of artist. She goes on to point out that, "In 1947 and 1948,, Penn made a series of portraits that represent a major breakthrough in the history of photography - a stylistic and coneptual break from mid-twentieth-century conventions. At a time when other leading magazine photographers either incorporated complex and dramatic sets or portrayed subjects in their surroundings, Penn developed a new approach". "Penn's images remain a fixed beacon" that have instructed "photographers and designers across many generations who have assimilated his visual language into their own picture-making."
His style did change over the years though. During the 1950's and 1960's, he closed in on his subject with head and shoulder portraits with greater emphasis on gesture and expression.
Penn obviously realised the importance of a rapport between himself and the sitter considering it one of the most important aspects of the portrait process. He was aware of the need to find the real person behind the mask shown to the world. He did this by, in his own words, by "the subject and I relating equally to each other as one human being to another". He did not like to use the word shoot saying that a photo-session was more of a love affair.
He was also aware as Keaney writes of "his journalistic responsibility to communicate to readers at every level"; Penn is quoted as saying, "My client is the woman in Kansas who reads Vogue."
While Penn is relevant to me as a portraitphotographer, his work does reflect on the theme of People and Place since the latter is almost entirely absent although some portraits do include not just the effect of theatre flats forming a corner but also include the theatre flats themselves, an effect which helps to deconstruct the portrait photograph.
What concerns me about the images, is the large areas of solid black. I would be happier if they contained detail and am left wondering whether this was deliberate or brought about by the limitations of the darkroom processes of his era.
The talk by Magdalene Keaney (the quotation marks include her text from the introduction to the book accompanying the exhibition) lasted about 15 minutes and was an introduction to both Penn and the exhibition. The work on show here not surprisingly represents only a small part of his work, concentrating on cultural figures, most of whom were photographed for Vogue. He also did many photographs of ordinary people who were selected on the basis of their occupation; however, the images seen here are of those "people whose ideas and work have shaped our own" and for this reason, they are worth seeing as they strengthen "our understanding of the importance of their accomplishments" . Those represented are artists, writers and musicians rather than those famous for being famous.
The exhibition consists of 120 images, some of them vintage prints which means that they were made at the time the negative was made. All the photographs are in black and white revealing the expressive characteristics of that medium. Often, there are areas of solid black which serve to dramatise form and content yet offer up no detail.
Penn worked for Vogue, once desribed by Avedon as a magazine afraid of anything to do with age and death. Those who knew Penn described him as humble and modest. His work was mostly done in the studio with plain backgrounds notably in a tight corner or on a cloth covered plinth. He used the photographer's tools of light and space while his sitters assumed different usually striking postures; Penn refers to these as sculptural.
Kearney writes that "It is not possible to have a meaningful discussion about the development of portraiture since the 1940's without reference to the work of Irving Penn. He challenged and changed expectations of what a studio portrait can be." This is great praise that lifts Penn from his status as photographer to that of artist. She goes on to point out that, "In 1947 and 1948,, Penn made a series of portraits that represent a major breakthrough in the history of photography - a stylistic and coneptual break from mid-twentieth-century conventions. At a time when other leading magazine photographers either incorporated complex and dramatic sets or portrayed subjects in their surroundings, Penn developed a new approach". "Penn's images remain a fixed beacon" that have instructed "photographers and designers across many generations who have assimilated his visual language into their own picture-making."
His style did change over the years though. During the 1950's and 1960's, he closed in on his subject with head and shoulder portraits with greater emphasis on gesture and expression.
Penn obviously realised the importance of a rapport between himself and the sitter considering it one of the most important aspects of the portrait process. He was aware of the need to find the real person behind the mask shown to the world. He did this by, in his own words, by "the subject and I relating equally to each other as one human being to another". He did not like to use the word shoot saying that a photo-session was more of a love affair.
He was also aware as Keaney writes of "his journalistic responsibility to communicate to readers at every level"; Penn is quoted as saying, "My client is the woman in Kansas who reads Vogue."
While Penn is relevant to me as a portraitphotographer, his work does reflect on the theme of People and Place since the latter is almost entirely absent although some portraits do include not just the effect of theatre flats forming a corner but also include the theatre flats themselves, an effect which helps to deconstruct the portrait photograph.
What concerns me about the images, is the large areas of solid black. I would be happier if they contained detail and am left wondering whether this was deliberate or brought about by the limitations of the darkroom processes of his era.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
web links
here is a link to the National Portrait Gallery's Photo of the month !
http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/events-calendar.php?filterDate=&eventSearch=Photograph+of+the+Month&eventType=Display&eventKeyword=&eventsSubmit.x=22&showArchive=yes&eventsSubmit.y=5
the NPG is one of the best places to see photography in the capital although the photographs are of course always portraits; nevertheless, one sees the best of this genre here.
their own annual competition is also worth seeing online if not actually ... its' called the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize ...
http://www.npg.org.uk:8080/photoprize/site09/index2.php
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
a visit to the National Portrait Gallery 2
Once again, time to visit the National Portrait Gallery.
There is an exhibition on downstairs of images by Sarah Brown. Although these are of famous people, the choice is interesting with captions that give some insight into how the photographs were made and the person who was portrayed.
I also looked at an exhibition of Mughal style paintings by the Singh sisters from Liverpool; another exhibition was about the Indian portrait. It was interesting to see these stylised works and although far removed from photography, there are certain parallels if only in composition.
Friday, March 19, 2010
workshop at the National Portrait Gallery
Have tried a few times to book for a workshop in portrait photography at the National Portrait Gallery but its' always been booked up. Today, I receive notification of another such workshop and rang to book; already, one day was fully booked but there were two places on the second day. However, the booking office were too busy to take my call! Managed to get a ticket however by phoning another number. The brief is ...
Taking inspiration from portraits in the Gallery’s Collection, photographer Emily Harris will lead this one day workshop exploring lighting used in traditional photographic portraiture influenced from Camera Obscura. The workshop will look at art from Sir Thomas Lawrence to Steve McQueen and use digital photography to produce beautifully lit portraits.
It'll be good to spend a day like this at what is perhaps the foremost portrait photography gallery in the country even for photography! A combination of both theory and practice seems appropriate.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
ASSIGNMENT 1
At last, the first assignment has got underway. Katie, my thirteen year old model, contacted me to say she was ready to co-operate and so I went around to my next door neighbour's home.
The first series of photos was of Katie using the remote control with the photographer in the position of the TV. The second was of Katie dressed up as a choir girl. The third was of Katie playing the piano.
Then again, another session in town with Katie playing guitar in the street; she has recently gained a licence to perform.
Now the task of looking closely at the photographs and analysing the content.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Irving Penn at the National Portrait Gallery
Today there is a symposium on the current Irving Penn exhibition which I had hoped to attend but have not been able to. Here is a quote from the photographer dated 1975 ...
"Sensitive people faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face which they think is one they would like to show the world ... very often what lies behind the facade is more rare and wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe"
Reading through the information relating to the exhibition, two concepts stand out .. the importance of form and space within the photographic portrait. These seem worth considering.
No doubt I shall visit the exhibition and shall try and do it when there is an exhibition tour.
I do feel some reluctance though about this kind of exhibition. There is a lot of emphasis on the photographer rather than the photograph with the photographs tending to be mere portals for various celebrities or possibly people of more genuine merit. Although not against the cult of celebrity, my interest in the exhibition is that of a photographer considering the medium who is concerned with the way in which people are being portrayed rather than who they all are or once were.
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