Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan

by Stephen M. Silverman

For more than 30 years, Kenn Duncan's photographs energized such sentimental New York arts publications as After Dark, Dance Magazine, and Opera News. Renowned for his ability to capture the distinctive styles and personalities of his subjects, frequently dancers, he gained widespread acclaim for his gift of celebrating a specific type of performer: the woman whose phenomenal talent and charisma make her more than a star, more than an icon: she is a Diva. Duncan adored the glamorous, larger-than-life personalities that defined American popular culture in the 1970s and 1980s, and they, in return, adored him. Until his untimely death in 1986, Duncan's camera was like a disco ball illuminating the likes of Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Angela Lansbury, Gelsey Kirkland, Joan Rivers, Bette Midler, and other luminaries of stage and screen. DIVAS! is a glittery celebration of Duncan, his muses, and the time in which they lived, loved, posed, and partied. It includes famous images, such as Anita Morris's controversial body-baring shot from Broadway's Nine, as well as rarely seen photographs of Susan Sarandon, Carrie Fisher, Lily Tomlin, Labelle, and Diane Keaton.

Renowned for his ability to capture the distinctive personalities of his subjects, Kenn Duncan's greater acclaim stemmed from his gift of celebrating a specific type of performer: the woman whose talent and charisma make her a diva. His camera, like a disco ball, illuminated such celebrities as Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Angela Lansbury, Gelsey Kirkland, and Joan Rivers. This is a celebration of Duncan, his divas, and the times in which they lived, loved, and partied. It includes such famous images as Anita Morris' controversial shot from Nine, and rare photographs of Susan Sarandon, Carrie Fisher, Lily Tomlin, LaBelle, and Diane Keaton. These photographs are to be exhibited at the The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in Fall 2008.