An accessible overview of the work of legendary American photographer Irving Penn Famous for his fashion portraits and experimentation with still life images, Irving Penn (1917–2009) ranks as one of the foremost photographers of the 20th century. In an illustrious career that spanned nearly 70 years, Penn was a master of both black-and-white and color photography, and his revival of platinum printing in the 1960s and 1970s was a catalyst for significant change in the art world. Drawing from the extensive holdings of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, including a major gift from The Irving Penn Foundation, this magnificent catalogue compiles 161 of Penn’s iconic images, including a number of unpublished works. Beautifully designed and illustrated, Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty accompanies the first retrospective exhibition of Penn’s work in nearly 20 years and features photographs from all stages of his career, including street scenes from the late 1930s, celebrity portraits, Parisian fashion photographs, and more private studio images. Merry A. Foresta’s captivating essay introduces this photographer to a younger generation and delves into Penn’s use of photography to respond to social and cultural change, speaking to the depths of human existence.

Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty

Arts & Photography

Foresta, Merry

Photography & Video

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Light wear to cover edges. A clean copy with no markings. FAST 3-DAY Priority Shipping. Order with confidence!

A American Art Vol 10 #1(sp)

Unknown, Author

Masters of Their Craft:  Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Kenneth R. Trapp

Individual Artists

The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi

Tom Wolf

Harlem Heroes, photographs by Carl Van Vechten

Harlem Heroes: Photographs by Carl Van Vechten

Carl, Van Vechten

June Schwarcz : Invention & Variation

Bernard N. Jazzar

Modern Masters: American Abstraction at Midcentury

Publication accompanies the inaugural exhibition at the new Frost Collection, Florida, which looks at the rise to prominence of the New York art scene in the two decades following the Second World War

Smithsonian Institution

Large softcover 154 page with discussion of over 50 paintings from the depression era.

1934: A New Deal for Artists[ 1934: A NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS ] by Wagner, Ann Prentice (Author) Aug-01-09[ Hardcover ]

Wagner, Ann Prentice

A Measure of the Earth provides an unparalleled window into an overlooked corner of recent American history: the traditional basketry revival of the past fifty years. Steve Cole and Martha Ware amassed a remarkable collection using the most stringent guidelines: baskets made from undyed domestic materials that have been harvested by the maker. An essay by Nicholas Bell details the long-standing use of traditional fibers such as black ash and white oak, willow and sweetgrass, and the perseverance of a select few to claim these elements--the land itself--for the enrichment of daily life. As they trek through woods, fields, farm, and shore in the quest for the right ingredients for a basket, these men and women cultivate an enviable knowledge of the land. Each basket crafted from this knowledge provides not only evidence of this connection to place, but also a measure of the earth. Drawing on conversations with the basketmakers from across the country and reproducing many of their documentary photographs, Bell offers an intimate glimpse of their lifeways, motivations, and hopes. Lavish illustrations of every basket convey the humble, tactile beauty of these functional vessels.

A Measure of the Earth: The Cole-Ware Collection of American Baskets

Bell, Nicholas R.

History & Criticism

A Revolution in Wood celebrates the magnificent gift of sixty-six pieces of turned and carved wood to the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum by the distinguished collectors Fleur and Charles Bresler. Illustrated in lavish detail, works by this country's best-known wood artists highlight the growing sophistication of American craft's youngest medium and the expressive capacity of its most organic material. Masterpieces by the field's pioneers, including David Ellsworth, William Hunter, Mark and Melvin Lindquist, Edward Moulthrop, and Rude Osolnik, demonstrate the extraordinary range of expression achievable on the lathe, the medium's foundational tool. Compelling recent works by Ron Fleming, Michelle Holzapfel, Hugh McKay, Norm Sartorius, Mark Sfirri, and many others reveal the advent of new techniques, including multi-axis turning, the incorporation of secondary materials, and a strong focus on carving. A wide-ranging essay by Renwick Curator Nicholas R. Bell examines contemporary wood art's historical roots and its rapid growth since the 1970s. Particular attention is given to the medium's development outside the studio craft movement and how that dynamic has shaped the current field. An interview with Fleur Bresler by former Renwick Curator-in-Charge Kenneth R. Trapp offers a window on the collector's passion and highlights her twenty-five-year dedication to wood and to the artists she considers family. The final section, “Wood Art at the Renwick Gallery,” illustrates in color over two hundred works by more than one hundred artists, making this premier public collection available in print for the first time. From James Prestini's original gift of twenty pieces before the Renwick's opening to experimental works by current artists, this guide to the Smithsonian's collection will serve as a reference for years to come.

A Revolution in Wood: The Bresler Collection

Nicholas R. Bell

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

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Books by Smithsonian American Art Museum