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RICO PUHLMANN: A FASHION LEGACY, 1955-1995 |
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Written by Joe DiRosa
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| RICO PUHLMANN: A FASHION LEGACY, 1955-1995
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| | February 8, 2005 through April 9, 2005
The
artistry of Rico Puhlmann (1934-1996), fashion photographer,
illustrator, and occasional filmmaker and designer, whose career in
Europe and America spanned more than 40 years, is on view at The Museum
at FIT, February 8 through April 9, 2005. This is his first major
retrospective, featuring more than 200 photographs, drawings, sketches,
magazine layouts, covers, tear sheets, and films.
Rico Puhlmann: A Fashion Legacy, 1955-1995
gives the visitor a perspective of 20th-century fashion on two
continents and includes images of garments, portraits, and cityscapes
from the collection of Puhlmann's estate. Photography historian William
A. Ewing has written the introduction to Rico Puhlmann: A Fashion Legacy, 1955-1995 (Merrell, New York and London, 2005).
The primary photographer at Harper's Bazaar
for 20 years, Puhlmann combined a thorough knowledge of fashion with
the ability to work quickly and efficiently, a skill mastered as a
fashion illustrator.
"Rico Puhlmann knew how to make clothes appear entirely
natural on a woman's body, and preferred to show garments where they
might actually be worn: in a corner café, a neighborhood restaurant, or
his own living room," Ewing says. "He also photographed faces
beautifully, so he had hundreds of cover assignments. Rico also had a
profound color sensibility and was a skilled art director. He was
exceptionally versatile and knowledgeable about clothes."
Richard Georg Willi Puhlmann was born in Berlin, and had an
early career as a child film star. After training at Berlin's Academy
of Fine Arts, he entered the field of fashion illustration,
establishing himself immediately as a gifted draughtsman.
A childhood interest in photography, however, inspired Puhlmann to
launch a second career. As a result, German fashion magazines of the
mid- to late-1950s were filled with Puhlmann's drawings and
photographs, often in dynamic combinations. His talents soon brought
him to the attention of French Vogue, which first published his imagery in 1958.
By 1970, Rico Puhlmann was the most prolific fashion
photographer in Germany, working for dozens of newspapers and
magazines. For one issue of the women's magazine, Constanza, he contributed all the photographs—a total of 251, including the cover.
Despite his success in Europe, Puhlmann recognized that New
York was the fashion capital of the world, and immigrated there in the
early 70s. His talents were quickly recognized by the editors at
Glamour, and thus began a long and fruitful chapter of his career. Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Gentleman's Quarterly, Fashions of the Times, and American Vogue
were principal clients of his in the United States, while German,
Swiss, and Italian magazines continued to publish his contributions.
Included in this exhibition are Puhlmann's portraits of
models and other celebrities, such as Isabelle Rossellini, Cindy
Crawford, Gore Vidal, Geraldine Chaplin, Bianca Jagger, Calvin Klein,
and Jerry Hall. They have the rare quality of simplicity while still
maintaining the glamour of the subjects.
In the latter half of his career, Puhlmann pursued fashion
filmmaking, presenting, writing, and even scoring a series of films for
German television. Some of these, too, are shown on video in Rico Puhlmann: A Fashion Legacy, 1955-1995. Many rare European magazines, newspapers, and fashion catalogues from the 50s and 60s will also be displayed.
This exhibition has been produced by The Museum at FIT in
collaboration with the Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne. In 2005, it will
travel to the National Museum, Berlin, and the Carla Sozzani Gallery,
Milan.
THE MUSEUM AT FIT
The
museum is located on the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue at 27
Street. Exhibition hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 noon to 8
pm; Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal
holidays. Admission is free. For museum information call (212) 217-5800
or go to: www.fitnyc.edu/museum |
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