Richard Avedon

[jnantz]

he started using the white background long before the american west series this thread seems to be about.
it had nothing to do with bring his nyc studio with him, it started in the 1950s
working as a photographer in the merchant marines he used it in italy and in france
in the 50s and 60s through the very end. it was a simple background so the person the portrait would be about
would be the subject of the photograph and the background wouldn't be a distraction.

[Toyon]

Certain people here wear them, which is a bit of a joke because we have to run up and down the stairs all the time, and that makes them place their feet slightly
sideways. I was making a snicker about the unreality of many Hollywood flicks. One example is the scene of the hero in North by Northwest crossing the face of Mt Rushmore in his dinner jacket and shiny wing-tipped shoes. And analogous version of rock-climber-shoe unreality is in the movie High Sierra, where the only person who can scale the cliff and get into position to shoot the Humphrey Bogart bank robber character happens to be a pudgy local wearing cowboy boots.

"Unreality of Hollywood flicks". Excellent logic-based observation. See you can actually say something that is intellectually and factually supportable!

[Drew Wiley]

My square dance partner as a lil' kid was an Indian gal now worth many millions due to the casino culture. Avedon would have loved that for his stupid white sheet. California Indian kids all dressed up and dancing as Iroquois or Plains Sioux chieftains to satisfy the clientele, and somehow convince them they're still generically Indians.

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

My square dance partner as a lil' kid was an Indian gal now worth many millions due to the casino culture. Avedon would have loved that for his stupid white sheet. California Indian kids all dressed up and dancing as Iroquois or Plains Sioux chieftains to satisfy the clientele, and somehow convince them they're still generically Indians.

Mr. Wiley.

I think everyone has gotten the picture (pun intended) that you do not have a fondness for Mr. Avedon or his work.

[John Olsen]

A long Photo District News article in November 1991 explains Mr. Avedon's creative process and the development of several projects, including "In the American West." Detractors of his work might benefit from looking it up at the library, if they happened to have discarded that issue. As noted above, he did use an 8x10 for that project. While the subjects appear unposed, he did a lot of off-camera coaching until he saw what he wanted. Reading the article gave me a much deeper appreciation of his art than I had taken away from the museum show that I had seen in 1986.

[richardman]

Resurrecting an old thread. A year or so ago, I didn't have a positive opinion on Richard Avedon's work - among other things, as a dog lover, I am sure the story about how he "tricked" the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in his portrait session probably colored my perception.

A year later - after reading many books, going to museums and galleries, shot around 300 sheets, most of which are portraits, and embarking on 2 portraiture projects - I am now really impressed by his work. I suspect his fashion photos will eventually fade from history, but I suspect that In The American West will be viewed as one of the greatest portrait works.

BTW, the Laura Wilson's book is a great companion read to the book, as mentioned by a few people already.

[Old_Dick]

Richard, not to swell your head. I've seen your work and the other Richard. He has nothing on you. Different style, but your work is every bit as good (better) as his.

Another Richard

[richardman]

Richard, not to swell your head. I've seen your work and the other Richard. He has nothing on you. Different style, but your work is every bit as good (better) as his.

Another Richard

Dear Richard, thank you for your kind praise. I won't get a swell head as I have so much to improve on. Mr. Avedon also shot 17,000 sheets (!!!!), over 100 on the "Bee Man" alone. I wish I can afford to use more than 2 sheets...

[photonsoup]

Mr. Avedon also shot 17,000 sheets (!!!!), over 100 on the "Bee Man" alone. I wish I can afford to use more than 2 sheets...

WOW, if I shot 17,000 sheets, even I might get a few good ones!
Seriously though, I'm always amazed at what driven artists do. I'm to distracted with life to shoot more than a couple hundred sheets a year so it's no wonder my stuff is unimpressive

[Drew Wiley]

A hundred shots for that corny posed Bee Man ????? Did Avedon even have his eyes open when he tripped the shutter?