Camel Pack, New York 1975

Irving Penn made this artwork, "Camel Pack, New York," using photography and printing techniques, giving it a painterly feel. The blacks and whites are like the start of something, an underpainting where the real experiment begins. Look closely at the distressed texture; it’s as if Penn attacked the surface, scraping and layering to create something beautifully ruined. The camel image itself is so iconic, almost like Pop Art. But then, the way it’s been broken down, and marked, it feels more like an abstract painting. Those fine lines spreading out from the central form remind me of Cy Twombly's work. It’s as if Penn is saying, "Here’s a recognizable image, now let's see how far we can push it towards abstraction." It's not just about the object; it's about the making and unmaking. It’s about how images can be both solid and fleeting. Like memory, or a half-remembered dream.