Paris Fashions: Jackie Stoloff after 1950

Gordon Parks made this photograph, Paris Fashions: Jackie Stoloff, and I can see already that the restrained monochrome creates a feeling of timeless elegance, a study in contrasts. Look how the textures in this image do so much heavy lifting, the light falls on the sharp pleats of the bow contrasting with the velvety black of the dress. There’s a real sense of play here, and a sophisticated exploration of light and dark, but what really catches my eye is the texture of the table in the lower left corner. The texture is so different from the rest of the piece; you can imagine running your fingers over it. Parks had such a versatile career, his work spanned photojournalism, fashion photography, and filmmaking. I think this image reminds me a bit of Irving Penn's fashion work - both artists had an eye for the surreal and a knack for elevating fashion photography to high art. Ultimately, Parks encourages us to see the world with fresh eyes, finding beauty in unexpected places.