LO1 Analysis of Irving Penn's Work

Category

Irving Penn is a photographer who specialises in the photographic genre fashion and portrait and generally his photographs are monochrome. He photographs people close up; at different angles with different facial expressions and poses this creates certain moods for the audience depending on the mood of the photograph.  His pictures are usually monochrome with the exception of a few, this creates a whole different atmosphere and allows the photograph to be shown in more depth and highlight certain detailed points with the use of light and dark.

Analysis

Irving things through the composition and viewpoints, different angles and viewpoints can give a whole different perspective to the piece and create a different mood and atmosphere for the audience. The composition of the pieces mostly entails a portrait taking up most of the piece, therefore it being the focal point, but he has a clever use of negative space being the light background and it is used to also highlight the important areas of the photograph. All his photographs are really powerful and full of emotion and depth, his photographs are used to create a narrative, a meaning behind the photograph.

Meaning and Purpose

His photographs are usually unique and original, they are a new approach to portrait and fashion photography. In terms of themes Irving links to identity very well, all his work is about facial expressions and narratives and identities. I feel that he could influence my work in terms of the theme fragments; his original approach to the subject could inspire creativity and new approach at the theme and come out with a more inventive final piece. I would be influenced by his work if I was specialising in portrait and fashion photography.