Penn and Beller**

[susanstinson]

At the same time that the Irving Penn and Gentileschi shows were at the Met, Irving Penn had another exhibition, Dancer, up at the Whitney. I didn't get to see it, but I've seen images from the book. It was a series of photographs by Penn of the dancer Alexandra Beller.*

In an article on Salon.com , a writer said "The photos are grotesque." I disagree.


*I gave a reading as one of a series of art events sponsored by local organization for eating disorders and body awareness. A performance by Beller was featured in the series, but it was a benefit and the tickets were expensive, so I didn't get to see her. My reading was sparsely attended and kind of strange, but a couple of months ago a young woman came up to me to tell me that she had been there, read my books, and that my work is enormously important to her, so that made me feel good about showing up and offering my work in the best spirit I can, even in difficult settings.

**Happy birthday to beatgoddess!

Comments

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Wow, she's gorgeous. What fabulous photos.

Mr. Bowman is an idiot. And I'm not too fond of the woman quoted, who thinks it's OK if women take pics of other fat women, but not if a man does. It could be misogyny? It could be if a woman does too. Give the model credit for being able to tell the photog's attitude. I'm certainly astute enough to tell when I'm in the presence of a fat hating misogynist...

[ericaceous.livejournal.com]

wow, that salon article was something else! The author implies that to be sensuous, delicacy is required?!?!?!?


I would be angry except so much of what he said is so patently ridiculous, I can't take it seriously enoughto be angered.

[ericaceous.livejournal.com]

Back at the Metropolitan, curator Hambourg included a single Penn photo taken in 1947 in the big women exhibit, claiming the shot was the genesis for the 1949-50 series Penn would soon shoot. The image is a dark and grainy view of an obese female torso, and Hambourg shows that it's a dead ringer for the lumpy old Willendorf Venus. There is nothing delicate or sensuous about Penn's 1948 "virgin." It's closer in spirit to Penn's modern fat photos at the Whitney. (bolding is my emphasis)

I mean, wow. Regardess of how sexually attractive one find the iconic Venus of Willendorf figure, I can't imagine saying that she the antithesis of sensuous unless you don't understand what the word "sensuous" means.

[grapesoda.livejournal.com]

oh oh oh, thanks for the link. She's beautiful and inspirational. My dance class starts next week too!

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Dance class!! Hooray!

[misia.livejournal.com]

Grotesque? She's *gorgeous*. In a "she's so fine I would sip her bathwater" way.

Man, whoever said those photos were grotesque has an aesthetic so ingrown it's probably found Ann Coulter's conscience.

[roane.livejournal.com]

Nonsense. Everybody knows Ann Coulter doesn't HAVE a conscience. ;)