Penn’s photographs have memorialized personalities such as Charles James (top) and Elsa Schiaparelli (bottom)— two fashion designers, who, in the early 20th century, were considered some of the best in their field. It was perhaps to poke fun at the enigma of fame, and certainly to disrupt it, that photographer Irving Penn would place his most famous subjects in a narrow corner to have their portraits taken. The prop was simple in its contrivance, just two studio flats arranged at a sharply acute angle, but it sufficed to recast his famous subjects in a less complacent light. There they would stay, these celebrated men and women, until they showed us something new. Many believe that Penn, along with his rival, Richard Avedon, elevated fashion photography to the status of fine art in the public eye. But Penn himself remained worried about the distinction. He threw himself into private work whenever he could—still lifes, anthropological photography (he would haul a portable studio into the field), the famous midsection nudes. Anything to prove that he wasn’t limited to the Apollonian perfection of his corporate and magazine work. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Four Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 51 Emily Gernild The Danish painter breathing new life into an old medium. Arts & Culture Food Issue 51 Imogen Kwok The artist takes food styling quite literally, creating accessories out of fruits and vegetables. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Close Knit Meet the weavers keeping traditional Egyptian tapestry-making alive. Arts & Culture Issue 50 New Roots The Palestinian agriculture collective sowing seeds of community. Arts & Culture Issue 49 Checked Out Why is hotel art so boring? Arts & Culture Issue 49 Cult Rooms The history—and future—of Luna Luna Park.
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