I want to start my thoughts on the show by summing up the curator's closing thoughts. As we reached the last room in the show and the dialog transitioned into closing words, Magda addressed a question that had been proposed to her, and one that has been asked about Penn and many noteworthy artists alike.
What is it about Penn? Why Penn?
In what I consider to be a very legible answer in the overarching question of ,"what or why", "this or that", artist, she, in essence, deduced it to:
1.) Penn's mastery of craft.
2.) Penn's vision and vocabulary as an artist.
3.) Penn's appreciation of subject.
I am not going to analyze the aspects of this deduction as I find that its simplicity fits with the overall approachability of the show.This show chose not to focus on the technicality of Penn's craftsmenship, as both a pioneer and artisan of the photographic medium. Not to say that these elements were negated, but definitely reduced by comparison to other Penn exhibitions. For me, this idea of "Simplicity" means that the people who come, by in large, have a greater chance of taking more out of this exhibition and retaining the knowledge, and that is important.
The premise of the show was to present a collection of Penn's work focusing on his images of cultural figure heads. Placed in chronological order the works progressed noting, along the way, the subtle changes in his approach signified by quotes presented on the walls of the exhibition.
The show is opened by work made in the mid 1940's starting with a portrait made of Spanish surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico. This portrait is one of the first images Penn made of a cultural figurehead and it's significance, as Magda explained, was its fundamental differences from other Penn images.
Firstly, it is an image that was made after an impromtu meeting on the Spanish steps when Penn was serving as an ambulance driver in the war. Penn approached de Chirico out of admiration and asked to make his portrait. Penn's motivation here was personal as opposed to his other commission based portraits.
Secondly, this image was made outdoors while Penn is primarily known for his work as a studio portraitist.
Post World War 2, Penn started out as an Art Director, enlisted by Vogue, to propose concepts to other photographers of the time, such as Steichen. Long story short, Vogue ended up hiring Penn to make the images he was proposing to others, himself. Penn's portraits during this time followed a list of stategies that involved his studio, his subject and the interaction that developed.
As noted by Magda, by deducing his variables to simple variations on his studio space or simple prop selections he allowed the subjects to emote in a way that allows the viewer to pay close attention to the intricate details of gesture and pose. For instance, his use of the corner and it's importance as a structural foundation, allowing subjects to conform there bodies into postures like the slouched composition of Truman Capote's portrait in 1948.
Progressing through the show, the work trails to the back of the room where you have the only "Fashion" image in the show, a portrait of Lisa Fonssagrives. This portrait of Lisa is a climatic point in the show, both visually and historically. Placed just outside the first room of the exhibition space, it is the first work you see as the show segways into Penn's later works,
This second room houses some of the most memorable Penn moments including the famous portraits of Picasso and Colette. As Magda noted, it was at this point in time that you started to see tighter compositions focused more on the characteristics of peoples faces. In Picasso's portrait, the combination of his hat and coat in harmony with the light and composition draws the viewers focus straight to the upper left eye, cheek and nose area. The shapes, tones and textures of this image create an architecture that have an almost landscape quality about them.
Closing out the show in the final room you have the more contemporary favorites, Robert Deniro, Nicole Kidman, Fashion icon and Penn collaborator Issey Miyake. It was at this point in the show that Magda addressed her premises in curating this show and also when she answered the question of "Why Penn?"
In closing I invite you to please take a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in London and when you do remember
1.) Craftsmanship
2) Vision
3.) Respect
That is "Why Penn?"
Please enjoy this impromptu portrait I made of Magda using considerations of space, the corner, that she addressed in the show.
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