NEW YORK, NY.- Bruce Silverstein Gallery is presenting Frank Paulin: Fashion, Culture, and the Golden Age, an exhibition of photographs taken during the period of remarkable economic and cultural growth in the United States, the 1950s. Featuring a selection of forty-six photographs, this exhibition highlights some of Frank Paulin's most striking images - some of which have never been exhibited - that truly capture the zeitgeist of the time and reinforce Paulin as a true visual poet. One of the few known early graduates of the Institute of Design in Chicago (New Bauhaus) to become a member of the New York School, his pursuit of capturing the city streets of New York, Chicago, and New Orleans was informed by his experience as a fashion illustrator, and helped create a new vocabulary for street photography- one that emphasizes subjectivity and personal experience, during a time of rapid social, cultural, and political change.
Viewed against the backdrop of the post-war economic surge and the prevailing cultural ethos of the time, the 1950s in the United States were characterized by an unparalleled wave of economic prosperity and a quest for the “American Dream." The surge in the economy fueled the growth of the middle class, as many American families experienced increased disposable income and leisure time, and the rise of television and technicolor in Hollywood, featuring now household-name stars like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, epitomized the American Dream. The rise of Rock and Roll and new forms of social spaces, such as the dance hall and the “movie palace,” created new forms of leisure. These developments played a crucial role in fostering consumer culture, with advertising as a key driver. The 1950s laid the foundation for a quality of life that would continue to shape American culture in the decades to come. During this era, photographer Frank Paulin found himself at the center of it all, with camera in hand.
After being discharged from the Army Signal Corps in 1946, Paulin enrolled under the GI Bill at the Institute of Design in Chicago, where he studied under notable photographers, including Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Harry Callahan, and Arthur Siegel, refining the documentary photography skills he had developed during his military service and mastering experimental techniques taught under the school’s curriculum. While studying, Paulin worked as a fashion illustrator at a local art studio and freelanced for department stores like Marshall Fields, Mandel Brothers, and Chas A. Stevens. By 1953, Paulin had returned to New York, where he continued to freelance in fashion illustration while studying at the New School under the acclaimed art director Alexey Brodovitch, who notably mentored Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. In the evenings, Paulin spent most of his time around Times Square and Fifth Avenue, drawn to the pervasive advertisements, bright neon lights, and vibrant signage.
Inspired by a unique visual language crafted and refined during his time at the New Bauhaus, Paulin’s images are ironic and humorous; his subjects are often juxtaposed with signage and light reflection, creating images layered with visual complexity and meaning. This experimentation, alongside Paulin's unique sensibilities towards the fashion industry and eye for style, resulted in images that create a complex visual experience that blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior.
In one image, Times Square, The Best Things in Life are Free, 1956, Paulin captures the cultural innovation, economic boom, and bustle of city life. By dividing the frame into two, the image's composition emphasizes the height of the United States Hollywood studio system with signs advertising the Oscar-winning 1956 musical, “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” and popular consumer goods such as tobacco and Coca-Cola. Focusing his lens on the individual, Motorcycle, Times Square, 1957, depicts a young boy standing by his motorcycle, smoking a cigarette, as if starring in a feature film. Perfectly captured in the background of this photograph is a billboard advertisement for Hit Parade, a popular cigarette brand; the viewer draws the connection between the young smoking boy and the ad – a play on words and a commentary on the influence of advertisements in the 1950s, Paulin’s known wit is reflected.
In this photograph, he focuses on the fender of a Packard Caribbean, and as cars move from right to left, it is unclear who the subject is – the human or the machine. Frank Paulin’s lens offers a dual perspective on the prosperity and growth of the 1950s, encompassing both a documentary viewpoint and individual experiences while highlighting the style, culture, and elegance of the period.
Frank Paulin’s work can be found in the collections of many prominent domestic and international institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Yale University Art Gallery.
