Underfoot I Possibly 1999 - 2001

Irving Penn made this gelatin silver print, Underfoot I. I can imagine Penn on his hands and knees, close to the earth and captivated by the form, texture, and light playing across this, well, whatever it is. He’s a fashion photographer who's famous for his portraits, so this feels like a departure! What is this object? Is it a fruit, a vegetable, or something else entirely? It almost looks like a brain. I admire Penn's willingness to shift perspectives, to find beauty and intrigue in the unexpected. The high-contrast black and white enhances the tactile quality of the subject, which in turn renders it as something almost sculptural. I am wondering if the object relates to the artist's wider practice and body of work, or even to the work of other photographers of the time, like Alfred Stieglitz? Artists are constantly engaging in a dialogue across time, inspiring one another’s creativity and finding meaning in the everyday. Painting or photography can act as a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.