Irving Penn: A Career in Photography

Now available in paperback
Irving Penn’s photographs have become iconic documents of an era––from his fashion and commercial editorials to his series of nudes and portraits of artists, musicians, writers, celebrities, and tribesmen of New Guinea, Peru, and Morocco. Originally published in 1997 to accompany an exhibition celebrating the Irving Penn Collection and Archives at the Art Institute of Chicago, this book examines Penn’s remarkable and wide-ranging career and his uncompromising artistic vision. With nearly 200 captivating photographs that span the entire scope of his artistic production––including poetic portraits of Cecil Beaton, Marcel Duchamp, Arshile Gorky, Elsa Schiaparelli, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Truman Capote––the book features essays by distinguished scholars and reflections by individuals who have known him well or collaborated with him. They also discuss Penn's particular genius for demonstrating how a profound and humane art can be created at the center of a society increasingly dominated by and enthralled with mass media.