Red Canoe, 1957 Brooklyn Heights, New York by American mid-century photographer William Helburn is hand-signed by the photographer and numbered in ink on verso (back of print). 20" x 16" (image size). A lifetime print in an edition of 50. Available: 18/50.
Helburn would often focus on one or two colors, both warm and cool tones, that added to the composition and made the picture pop. “Red Canoe'' is a classic example of this Helburn’s style with his focus on bold reds. He created “Red Canoe'' for an advertising campaign, with model Barbara Mullen, one of the most popular faces from the 1950s. The photograph was shot in front of 19 Gramercy Park South - once referred to as “the greatest private house remaining in private hands in New York.''
Literature:
William Helburn: Seventh and Madison, London, 2014, p.134.
Provenance: Private Collector
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Artist’s Bio:
A contemporary of Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Lillian Bassman and Horst P. Horst, William Helburn (1924-2020) hailed from New York City. After serving in the Pacific in World War II, Helburn was inspired to become a fashion photographer. Helburn would go on to study with Harper's Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch at his Design Workshop. This led to a 10-page assignment for Bazaar that helped launch his career. Helburn published thousands of images and won dozens of awards for his fashion and advertising photography. A book on his photography “William Helburn –Seventh and Madison" was published in 2014. "Fashion photography is, singularly, the most creative form of photography there is," said Helburn on the art of fashion.
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