Art Work
DeCOSSE, Cy (1929- )
Queen of the Night
Hand-pulled photogravure, signed L/R and numbered 88/150
12 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches (30.8 x 26.4 cm) image
20 3/8 x 16 3/8 inches (51.8 x 41.6 cm) frame

Born in North Dakota in 1929 and raised in Minnesota, DeCosse attended art school soon after his college graduation. In 1954 he won a Fulbright scholarship to Italy to study graphic arts. It was while studying with Renzo Maggini at the Instituto d'Arte, Firenze, that DeCosse received his only formal photographic training. Maggini took the young artist under his wing, and shared his knowledge about lighting, how to produce such effects as back and side light, shooting in full daylight and by moonlight. From his study of painting, too, DeCosse evolved one of his signature elements: the use of hand-painted backgrounds in his photographic compositions, to introduce a sense of depth and special mystery.

Returning to Minnesota, DeCosse embarked on a long and extremely successful career as a photographer, a specialist in close ups; and then, almost forty years later, he transitioned into fine art photography fully.

John Wood, noted critic and poet, said of DeCosse, "...Apart from the image itself, the most striking visual features of a DeCosse print are its subtle nuances of tone and texture. There is luminosity in the lights and velvet depth to the darks that can take your breath and that is simply not present in the work of any other photographic artist. ...DeCosse brings a virtually unheard of level of craftsmanship to his art. ...his prints are absolutely perfect."


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