John Coplans
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John Coplans (1920-2003) was a British artist. A veteran of World War II and a well-respected photographer, he emigrated to the United States in 1960 and had many exhibitions in Europe and North America. He was on the editorial staff of Artforum from 1962 to 1971, and was Editor-in-Chief from 1971 to 1977. He also was Director of several museums including the Akron Art Museum, Ohio. In 1980 he moved to New York, and refocused his work on photography.
Coplans is most famous for his series of black and white self-portraits which act as a frank study of the naked, aging body. He photographed his body from the base of his foot to the wrinkles on his hand. He never photographed his face - thus, his imagery is universal, and not focused on a specific man or identity. His last thirteen years, from 1984 to 1997, resulted in a poetic body of work, a portrait of man, each shot part of a history.
