Irving Penn - Avedon canvas backgrounds

[Frank Petronio]

Wondering if anyone has any specific information about what kinds of canvas backgrounds Penn and Avedon have used - also like the old Dewar's ads ? They are very classic for black and white - but not readily available either... (i.e. not a Denny's "burst" or a over wrinkled muslin.)

[Walt Calahan]

I have absolutely no information about Penn's and Avedon's painted fabric backgrounds, but I've talk to many portrait studio shooters over the years, and it seems with them that the consensus is that a good background can take time to evolve and mature.

The backgrounds that people have shared info with me are never store bought. They are hand painted. The painting is not a one day, or a one week process, but more of a life time project. They are always tweeking them by adding color here or brightness there or darking areas to suit their changing taste.

Of course they have backgrounds for B&W shots and others for Color work.

I've not met him, have only read about his backgrounds, but William Coupon makes his own and has several. He was a textile major at Syracuse University and only got into photography after college. While enjoying the club scene in NYC in the early 1980's, he started photographing the musicians he enjoyed. To clean up the background he painted his own backdops using his knowledge of textiles. The clubs started to hang the portraits up, and the art directors who when to the clubs started hiring him for his look. The rest is history.

Perhaps Penn and Avedon had their assistants paint, or hired artist to paint their backgrounds, I don't know. But you should try making your own to get the look you like.

[Ellis Vener]

Perhaps Penn and Avedon had their assistants paint, or hired artist to paint their backgrounds, I don't know. But you should try making your own to get the look you like.This is quite likely the case. Sarah Oliphant in NYC made custom canvas backdrops for photographers for many years. She may still. She is (or was) married to portrait photographer Michael O'Neill

[Frank Petronio]

Oliphant's backdrops were a copuple of grand back in the day, so I expect they are out of sight now, while Coupon appears to use smaller backdrops and place his subjects really close to it so his lighting spills onto it.

I am mainly looking for a Penn style backdrop - middle grey, splotchy but not distinct. The Oliphant portfolio doesn't have anything quite like that, and some of Penn's backgrounds look to be 30 x 40 feet - huge. Anyone have the specifics? Annie Leibowitz probably has a duplicate background...