First published 2018
This comprehensive collection showcases the portrait photography of William Coupon, born in 1952. Coupon gained extraordinary access to prominent figures including Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Beatles guitarist George Harrison, jazz legend Miles Davis photographed with his daughter, and Talking Heads leader David Byrne. His distinctive technique involves positioning subjects against hand-painted Belgian linen backgrounds, illuminated by a single light source, and capturing them with medium-format cameras. This consistent approach creates portraits with painterly qualities that evoke the work of masters like Rembrandt and Holbein. Coupon applies this same method whether documenting presidents in the Oval Office or indigenous communities. The monograph spans his career from 1978 to recent work, revealing the diverse array of both celebrated and ordinary individuals who have drawn his artistic attention. The collection demonstrates how Coupon's unwavering photographic philosophy transforms each subject into a work of art.
Genres: biography, art, 20th-century, 21st-century, photography
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: artistic-vision, transformation
Period: 1978, Recent
216 pages · Hardcover · Damiani