Last Thursday, November 21st, I had a long-awaited appointment with the MOP Center. A Coruña awoke to a gray sky, relentless winds, and rain that lingered like an uninvited guest. But none of that mattered, as the universe of Irving Penn awaited within the most comprehensive exhibition ever presented in Spain about the master of photography: Irving Penn: Centennial.
Everything seemed perfectly arranged to immerse visitors in the artist’s world. The space, designed with scenography that felt like a dialogue with Penn’s work, captivated immediately. The atmosphere was intimate, almost reverent, and the photographs seemed to pulse under the subtle lighting. “I can get obsessed with anything if I look at it long enough,” Penn once said, and this sentiment resonated through every frame, every shadow, and every texture among the more than 160 pieces on display.
Penn’s legendary perfectionism was evident—not only in the final images but also in the meticulous preparation that preceded each session. His sketches, painstakingly detailed, seemed to imbue his work with its profoundly human quality. His incisive gaze captured in a portrait, the almost spiritual beauty of a flower, or the elevation of the everyday in a still life—each image felt like it stopped time itself.
In one of the exhibition’s most intimate rooms, visitors encounter a recreation of the corner Penn devised for his portraits. Two inclined panels formed a confined space where Penn transformed discomfort into a theatrical stage charged with symbolism. Here, figures like Marcel Duchamp with his pipe, Truman Capote, or Igor Stravinsky were portrayed with an intensity that transcended the physical, revealing something almost psychological. Standing before this recreation felt like stepping into the photographer’s creative process—a space where discomfort became art.
The highlight of the exhibition lies in the portraits of iconic figures such as Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Gianni Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and many others. These images offer a window into the unique rapport Penn established with his subjects—a balance between absolute control and the unpredictable spark of the moment. Moving through the exhibition, one also encounters a historical artifact: the backdrop Penn used in his studio.
Simple, worn, yet steeped in history, this canvas was a silent witness to Penn’s singular method. He often used the same backdrop for portraits, whether photographing an unknown subject or a Hollywood star. Penn believed this approach eliminated distractions, allowing him to focus entirely on the face and the soul of his subjects. This unassuming canvas becomes a centerpiece of the exhibition, almost a trophy representing the essence of his genius.
The visit concluded in the Silo, the MOP Foundation’s bookstore. A true temple of the printed word, its ascending curves of shelves stretched like an infinite horizon, guiding me toward treasures I hadn’t known I needed until they were in my hands. Among them, the exhibition’s exclusive catalog gleamed like a gem for any admirer of Penn’s art.
As I stepped outside, I reflected on something Penn revealed through his life and work: beauty lies in the essence of things, but it takes patience and curiosity to uncover it. This is more than just an exhibition; it’s a tribute to the vision of a man who saw beyond the obvious and transformed it into timeless art.
Through this extraordinary retrospective, the MOP Foundation pays homage to one of the most prolific visual legacies of the 20th century, further solidifying its role as one of Spain’s cultural epicenters. Following the legacy of past exhibitions on Peter Lindbergh, Steven Meisel, and Helmut Newton, this new showcase will be open to the public from November 23, 2024, to May 1, 2025.
