Frank Paulin: Fashion, Culture, and the Golden Age

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. 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.