PORTRAITS – ARNOLD NEWMAN

PRESS RELEASE

Arnold Newman (b. 1918 in New York) is undoubtedly one of the most important portrait photographers in the field today. His work includes portraits of U.S. Presidents from Truman onward, as well as famous artists, actors, politicians, diplomats, and more. Newman’s approach incorporates the authentic world of his subjects, aiming to reflect their background and way of life without resorting to superficial symbolism. His works, executed with humility, understanding, and empathy, masterfully combine physical likeness with a deeper sense of the subject’s essence.

“The most important qualities of a portrait photographer are intuition, the ability to assess people, the capacity to connect with a wide range of individuals, from a streetcar driver to a world leader, and the empathy to understand and respect the subject’s potential discomfort in front of the camera,” Newman states.

Newman’s work is rooted in both technical skill and intuitive sensitivity. As a professional photographer, he embraces the fundamental purpose of a portrait: to serve as a biography. A portrait is intended to both inform the present and preserve a record for the future, capturing not just facts but also imagined impressions.

“An abstract focus combined with the desire to portray individuals within their natural environments forms the foundation of my approach to portraiture. A portrait must reveal as much of the subject’s personality as possible while also showing their relationship to their world, whether through factual context or graphic symbolism.

I am convinced that photographic attempts to depict the entirety of a person are nonsense. At best, we can show what the ‘outer’ person reveals. The inner self rarely, if ever, emerges—not even to the person themselves,” Newman explains.

The exhibition features 25 of Arnold Newman’s iconic portraits from 1941 to 1986. These include renowned figures and artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Max Ernst, and Jean Dubuffet, as well as Igor Stravinsky, Akira Kurosawa, Marilyn Monroe, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

In addition to the Pori Art Museum, Arnold Newman’s exhibition will be presented at the Finnish Museum of Photography from December 5, 1986, to January 11, 1987. The exhibition is under the patronage of U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Rockwell Anthony Schnabel.

Translated with ChatGPT