sundance

Photographer Elliott Erwitt wins ICP’s Lifetime Achievement Award

It’s not surprising that Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt recently received the International Center for Photography’s Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement. Not surprising, no, but exciting nonetheless. Do a quick Google Image search for his name and you’ll cull some of the most iconic images from the 20th-century. There are serious photos, political photos, professional photos, romantic photos and celebrity photos, but the most common unifying thread amongst all of Erwitt’s work is his sense of humor. His ability to capture our often ridiculous relationships with animals or our undying fascination with exaggerated versions of the female form are what give his oeuvre not only likability but relatability. It’s not that we can’t recognize and appreciate a good photograph no matter what the subject matter is, but we’re drawn to the Bresson-esque qualities of his images, his knack for capturing those small, seemingly benign or ubiquitous moments – a woman on a park bench crossing her legs, a group of men turning their heads to watch a girl walk by or his wife pulling a roast chicken out of the oven while she holds a crying baby (below).

New work at ICP

ICP’s Winter/Spring line up: Paris when it sizzles, when it fizzles and the all-American beefcake.

It’s been over a year of fashion photography at the International Center of Photography, but starting tomorrow a fresh batch of exhibitions will call ICP their home, at least until May. But just as last year’s rotating collections of fashion photos came with a guaranteed audience, this next lineup indicates that ICP is playing it safe, yet again, with archival Parisian photography and mostly stylish, mostly good-looking 50s-era men and women, with some modern architecture thrown in for balance.

“Dress Codes” at ICP

Opening October 2nd, “Dress Codes” features the photography and video of over 100 artists from around the world whose work explores “the uses of style, image and personal presentation.” In a word, fashion. This exhibition also marks the close of ICP’s “2009 Year of Fashion,” an impressive show that included contemporary commercial photography (spread after [...]