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General & Miscellaneous American Art, Individual Photographers & Professionals, Modernism & "New Vision" Photography, Drawings, Fashion Photography
The Astronomers Plan a Voyage to Earth by Irving Penn β€” book cover

The Astronomers Plan a Voyage to Earth

by Irving Penn
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Overview

While working as a graphic artist in New York, Irving Penn made these drawings before ever taking his first photograph. Originally intended to accompany a short fable, this collection, made from 1939 to 1942, lay dormant until they were uncovered in 1996. Shortly later, Penn gave these drawings new life in a tale about distant space travelers planning a journey to Earth. Pencil renderings depict the benevolent astronauts and their space travel apparatus of cylinders, tubes, funnels, and spouts in this simple yet zen-like tale of exploration. The deluxe production of this book is consistent with Penn's renown for using the finest materials for his photographic work. Handsomely printed on heavy-weight paper, this clothbound, French-fold edition is a unique creation by one of the great artists of our time.

Synopsis

Irving Penn, though well-known as one of the 20th-century's master photographers, was originally trained as a painter. In 1997 he unearthed a series of his own abstract, mechanistic drawings made between 1939 and 1942, before he began to take photographs. Tying them together with a narrative about travelers to earth, The Astronomers Plan a Voyage to Earth is a lavishly produced artist's book--a children's story, written for adults. 36 pages; 21 b&w illustrations; 11 x 12.75 inches.

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Book Details

Published
August 1, 1999
Publisher
Apparition
Pages
36
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780966548013

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