Paul Caponigro

Template:Short description Template:Infobox person Paul John Jerome Caponigro (December 7, 1932 – November 10, 2024) was an American photographer, writer and pianist. His best known photographs are Running White Deer and Galaxy Apple. His subject matter includes landscape and still life, taking an interest in natural forms. He was best known for his landscape works and for the mystical and spiritual qualities of his work.

In 2001, Caponigro was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography.<ref name="rps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,<ref name="metmuseum">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,<ref name="mfah">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Museum of Modern Art,<ref name="moma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.<ref name="sfmoma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Paul John Jerome Caponigro was born in Boston on December 7, 1932, to Italian immigrant parents, and started having interests in photography at age 13.<ref name=nytobit/> However, he also had a strong passion in music and began to study music at Boston University College of Music in 1950, before eventually deciding to focus on studying photography at the California School of Fine Arts.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Photography career

Caponigro studied with Minor White.<ref name=nytobit/> His first one-man exhibition took place at the George Eastman House in 1958. In the 1960s Caponigro taught photography part-time at Boston University while consulting for the Polaroid Corporation on various technical research.Template:Citation needed In 1971, his work was exhibited in the group exhibition Le Groupe Libre Expression : Expo 5, presented by Jean-Claude Gautrand, at the Rencontres d'Arles festival in Arles, France.Template:Cn

He died on November 10, 2024 at his home in Cushing, Maine from congestive heart failure at the age of 91.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=nytobit>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

Caponigro lived in El Rancho de San Sebastian during his time in New Mexico from 1973 to 1993.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Caponigro was a dedicated pianist and considered his training with music to be essential to his photographic imagery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

His son, John Paul Caponigro, is a digital photographic artist.<ref name=nytobit/> He was married to writer Eleanor Morris until their divorce in 1976.<ref name=nytobit/>

Books

• Landscape. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Template:ISBN.
• The Wise Silence. New York Graphic Society Books; Little, Brown, 1983. Template:ISBN.
• Megaliths. Boston: Little, Brown, 1986. Template:ISBN.
• New England Days. Portland Museum of Art, 2002. Template:ISBN.

Awards

• Three grants from the NEA<ref name=nytobit/>
• 1966: Guggenheim Fellowship<ref name="gf">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 1975: Guggenheim Fellowship<ref name="gf"/>
• 2001: Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS)<ref name="rps"/>

Collections

Caponigro's work is held in the following permanent collections:

• Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, California: 2 prints (as of 26 November 2024)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: 14 prints (as of 26 November 2024)<ref name="metmuseum"/>
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: 30 prints (as of 26 November 2024)<ref name="mfah"/>
• Museum of Modern Art, New York: 20 prints (as of 26 November 2024)<ref name="moma"/>
• New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico<ref name=nytobit/>
• Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California: 1 print (as of 26 November 2024)<ref name=nytobit/>
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco: 4 prints (as of 26 November 2024)<ref name="sfmoma"/>
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York<ref name=nytobit/>
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York<ref name=nytobit/>

External links

• {{#if:Paul Caponigro (2)|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}