Veritable Harem of Vessels

Swelling, feminine curves of a pitcher labeled Huile. A tall metal coffeepot with two whimsical flaring handles. A ghostly cup whose silver surface is rubbed away in spots where hands once cradled its warmth. An upcoming show of Irving Penn’s still lifes reveals the master at his best. Opening this month in New York’s Pace/MacGill Gallery, Penn’s show of ten black-and-white pictures of vessels is at once lush and sober. Four decades of travel (and marriage) resulted in a an expansive collection of pitchers, pots and a single cup, made of metals and ceramic. His autere portraits of these containers reveal each object in possession of a rich past.

~ by dutchtouchart on March 5, 2008.