The American artist Jean Pagliuso, who was born in 1941, explores an unusual subject in her most recent experimental photographs: chickens. Over twenty breeds modelled for her in her studio, resulting in insightful black-and-white photographs that present the birds in their unmistakable glory.

Jean Pagliuso has created portraits of the world of fashion and of fi lm since the 1970s. She has worked for Robert Altman, Universal Studios, Disney and other production companies. Magazines such as Vogue, the New York Times and Rolling Stone published her photographs before she dedicated herself entirely to fi ne art photography. The process of making prints and experimenting with darkroom techniques is an essential component of her work as a photographer. The insistence on the purity of technique has led Pagliuso to discover Thai Mulberry paper onto which she hand-applies a silver gelatin emulsion. Here, her unique portraits of chickens reveal to us their beauty, distinctiveness and expression, and ultimately achieve icon status.