Jean Pagliuso: The Poultry Suite

From August 3 through September 18, 2006, The Drawing Room in East Hampton is pleased to present "Jean Pagliuso | The Poultry Suite", photographic portraits of chickens.

Jean Pagliuso is a noted fashion and portrait photographer in New York who finds in her personal work a predilection for architectural monuments, temples, and most recently, poultry. This surprising subject is a result of her exploration of childhood memories of her late father’s lifelong hobby of raising chickens. Drawing upon her skills as a photographer of models and movie stars, Pagliuso has created a tour de force series of head shots and “full length” life size shots of white, black and variegated plumed birds. Pagliuso endows hens and roosters at once with glamour, nobility, arrogance and pathos. The chickens, brought to the artist’s Chelsea studio by their agent-breeders from barnyards far and wide, appear to take the sittings seriously. Working fast, the experienced Pagliuso catches the animated poses and profiles of these magnificent birds, even the seemingly shy bow-legged ones.

In stark settings, Pagliuso produces photographs through which the chickens show off with equal flourish their distinct attitudes and markings. Velvety blacks and rich whites characterize the Bantams’ flared tails and ornamental coloring, the plump, proud White Cochins with their profusion of feathers, and the White Crested Polish which display hilarious and poignant personalities, endearing to behold.

See below for full press release and selected works.