Di Perna, Frank. Frank Di Perna. Color Photographs. June 4 - July 17, 1977.

Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1977. Essay by Jane Livingston. Edition of 2,000. VG+ with a few light spots near spine of front cover. 10 pages, 7 color plates of SX-70 color photographs reproduced actual size. Includes catalogue of 42 works in the exhibit and biographical information about the photographer.  Summary:

Frank Di Perna: Color Photographs (June 4 – July 17, 1977) is an exhibition catalog published by the Corcoran Gallery of Art to document a solo showcase by American fine-art photographer Frank DiPerna.

Key Details & Highlights

• Publisher & Format: Published by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in a limited run of 2,000 copies. The staple-bound catalog features an essay by prominent curator Jane Livingston alongside a checklist of 42 works shown in the exhibit and biographical notes on the artist.

• Core Medium: Highlights DiPerna’s early experimentation with color photography, specifically featuring dynamic, actual-size color plates of images shot on Polaroid SX-70 instant film.

• Curatorial Focus: Explores DiPerna’s mastery of vibrant color composition, scale, and immediate visual feedback offered by the Polaroid format during a period when color photography was gaining serious institutional recognition in fine art museums.

• Institutional Context: Served as part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art's influential late-1970s photography exhibition series celebrating contemporary regional and national photographers.

Frank DiPerna (1947–2020) was an influential American fine-art photographer, educator, and pioneer of contemporary color and instant photography. Raised in Pittsburgh and earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware before pursuing fine art at George Washington University, DiPerna established himself in the Washington, D.C. art scene during the 1970s. He became widely recognized for his innovative use of Polaroid materials, large-format color prints, and altered imagery that bridged painterly aesthetics with precise photographic technique. Over a career spanning more than four decades, his work was widely exhibited, held in major museum collections—including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art—and he served for thirty years as a respected professor and head of photography at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.