2008 prc benefit auction

22. Marie Cosindas
William Powel Still Life, 1985/1987
Archival Inkjet Print, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2
Edition of 35, Signed recto on image
Framed by Boston Frameworks
Courtesy of Artist
Retail Value: $2,500

Known for her evocative portraits and still lifes, Marie Cosindas has been a leading figure in photography for generations. Her portraits are a venerable “who's who,” including the likenesses of Truman Capote, Faye Dunaway, Ezra Pound, Andy Warhol, and Tom Wolfe, among others. The portrait depicted in this photograph is of American film star William Powell, best known for portraying the character Nick Charles in The Thin Man films. The three-dimensional portrait is a foto escultura, an art form traditionally associated with Mexico. Cosindas's work played a critical role in establishing the use of color in fine art photography during the 1960s and her solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York was one of the institution's first to feature color photography. Cosindas's work is in numerous collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the George Eastman House, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Cosindas lectured as a part of the PRC's Masters Lecture Series in 2006.