Irving Penn: Worlds in a Small Room
April 2nd, 2009
I recently was able to find the out of print Worlds in a Small Room by photographer Irving Penn. It was printed in 1974. The images are as stunning and moving today as I am sure they were 35 years ago when first published. Mr. Penn had what he called an “ambulatory” studio that he literally had shipped around the world for his portrait sessions. He created a large natural light studio in which he photographed people from the jungle to the desert. His portable “studio” was a fascinating structure. Some behind the scenes photos in the book give a glimpse at its size and the struggle it must have been to bring this structure to remote parts of the world. In all my research of his mobile studio Irving photographed in, I never was able to find any mention as to its final resting place. I wonder if it is in the back room of some old building in New York City. The beautifully lit, haunting images have given me inspiration to create a similar environment to photograph in. As the weather warms up and I begin to spend more time photographing outside I hope to do some tests that I can share. Keep your eyes open.
