What do you think?
Rate this book
A Notebook at Random
From his very first photograph made on assignment for Vogue in 1943 to the fresh images that he continued to make for that magazine, Irving Penn showed again and again an uncanny ability to surprise the world with his art. Far from a typical career retrospective, A Notebook at Random is a revelation.
Included here are some of Penn's signature images - austere, elegantly composed portraits, still lifes and fashion photographs - along with rough sketches and line drawings that provide a window into ideas and images in the making. A consummate technician and innovator, Penn invites us to consider process alongside end product, providing new insight into his radical compositions, experiments with light, and unique printing techniques.
A Notebook at Random is populated with artists, writers and models whose lives intersected with Penn's: Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Lisa Fonssagrives look out at us with that timeless intensity that characterizes an Irving Penn portrait.
Many of the photographs presented here are alternate poses or torn test fragments, pages from his personal notebook; some are newer discoveries, including a previously unpublished portrait of Truman Capote. Some of the most striking are Penn's paintings, painted photographs, and mixed-media works--images so layered and exquisitely constructed that they resemble cubist assemblages. And in keeping with Penn's long-standing commitment to the optimal presentation of his work, this book is produced to the most exacting standards: fine paper, full cloth binding, and reproductions that are almost indistinguishable from his originals.
Included here are some of Penn's signature images - austere, elegantly composed portraits, still lifes and fashion photographs - along with rough sketches and line drawings that provide a window into ideas and images in the making. A consummate technician and innovator, Penn invites us to consider process alongside end product, providing new insight into his radical compositions, experiments with light, and unique printing techniques.
A Notebook at Random is populated with artists, writers and models whose lives intersected with Penn's: Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Lisa Fonssagrives look out at us with that timeless intensity that characterizes an Irving Penn portrait.
Many of the photographs presented here are alternate poses or torn test fragments, pages from his personal notebook; some are newer discoveries, including a previously unpublished portrait of Truman Capote. Some of the most striking are Penn's paintings, painted photographs, and mixed-media works--images so layered and exquisitely constructed that they resemble cubist assemblages. And in keeping with Penn's long-standing commitment to the optimal presentation of his work, this book is produced to the most exacting standards: fine paper, full cloth binding, and reproductions that are almost indistinguishable from his originals.
- GenresArt
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
34 people want to read
About the author
Irving Penn
75 books19 followersIrving Penn was an American photographer known for his portraiture and fashion photography.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 2, 2016
We are rarely allowed a glimpse into the thought processes behind an artist's work; luckily for us, A Notebook at Random provides a glimpse and then some. There are fascinating insights into how Penn's most notable shots were composed, what he was inspired by, and how he was equally interested in drawing as he was in photography. A definite must for Penn fans, but anyone who is a fan of the art world will find this interesting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review