On 1st October, 2004 one of the leading mid-20th-century photographers – especially known for his brilliant imagery – died at the age of 81. The admirable man I am talking about is the New Yorker Richard Avedon. If you haven’t heard his name before, it’s time to get to know him, as you have certainly seen some of his most popular works somewhere.
Andy Warhol, The Beatles, W.H. Auden, Cate Blanchett and Tony Blair are only a few of the world’s celebrities who had the great honour to stand in front of Avedon’s sacred camera. However, he was also known for his appealing fashion photography and his stark photo journalism. In addition, he had a perfect insight into his subjects’ personalities which is clearly mirrored in his photos. In the late 1940’s he cast a new light onto fashion photography by letting his models show their emotions and giving them soul, which did not conform to the standard techniques of that time.
I greatly regret not having found the time to go to the National Portrait Gallery in Britain’s vibrant capital London last time I was there. And now that I was told that they have a small number of Richard Avedon’s portraits in their permanent collection, I regret it even more. Well, I’ll go next time then!
And if you’re luckier than me and have the possibility to travel to New York (sigh), I have one last tip for you: From the 15th May to the 6th September the folks at the International Center of Photography will exhibit over 200 inspirational fashion photographs by Richard Avedon. Another exhibition which should not be missed, if possible.
UPDATE: Just found out that the exhibition ‘Avedon Photography 1946-2004′ is still at the Foam Fotografiemuseum in Amsterdam until 13th May, which is a tad more practical for Europeans like me.
“A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”
- Richard Avedon
Filed under: Exhibitions, Eye Candy, Fashion, Photography , Amsterdam, Foam Fotografiemuseum, International Center of Photography, London, National Portrait Gallery, New York, Richard Avedon
