Sad news that the master photographer Mr. Irving Penn passed away this morning. He was one of a kind.
Here is the link to his obituary written by Andy Grundberg that was published on the New York Times website today. I encourage you to read it. As the news is spreading, more recaps of Penn’s career and artistry are being posted on line; tonight’s edition of NPR’s All Things Considered hosted a dialogue between Melissa Block, Michelle Norris and William Stapp, founding curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery and co-curator of the Penn exhibition hosted by the National Gallery, as well as posting this story about Penn’s impact as an artist. A selection of Penn’s photographs are on the NPR photo blog: npr.org/pictureshow.
The Getty Museum in Los Angeles is currently hosting “Irving Penn: Small Trades” through January 10, 2010; among the accompanying events is a gallery course lead by co-curator Virginia Heckert, associate curator of photography on Saturday, October 24th. Heckert will also lead a gallery talk on October 29th at 1:30 pm, followed by Anne Lacoste, assistant curator of Photographs doing the same on Wednesday November 18th and December 2nd at 1:30. Heckert and Lacoste co-authored the accompanying publication.
I also encourage you to read this article “Irving Penn: He photographed the most important artists of the last half-centure and in the process joined their ranks” written by Philip Gefter at the time of Penn’s gift of prints to the Morgan Library that was published on Slate o 2/29/08. And, Vogue magazine’s site has posted several remembrances tonight, including “The Mighty Penn” written by Kennedy Fraser originally published in the July 2007 issue of the magazine.
