Composition of Ten Pieces, New York 1979

Irving Penn created this photograph called Composition of Ten Pieces in New York. Look at these simple, geometric shapes – the cylinders, blocks, and rectangles – arranged against a stark white background. I imagine Penn, like a painter, carefully composing this still life. What was he thinking as he shifted each piece, searching for balance? This is an exercise in pure form, like a sculptor arranging maquettes in their studio. It is reminiscent of early modernist painters exploring the essential shapes in the world around them. Each piece has a unique texture and weight, rendered in shades of gray. Look at the way the light catches the rounded edges of the cylinders. Penn has made something so compelling from something so simple. These are geometric forms, but they have a quality that feels like a found object. It's a testament to the power of seeing – how artists can transform ordinary materials into something beautiful and thought-provoking. Penn’s photograph, like a painting, embodies the artist's perspective, inviting us to contemplate the essence of form and composition.