Richard Avedon farewell

Next to Saint Ansel, Avedon was one of my favorite photographers. Seems
that he "went down shooting". What a way to go.

From:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ople_avedon_dc

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Portrait and fashion photographer Richard Avedon
died on Friday morning at age 81, a spokeswoman for the family said.

Avedon died at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where he had
been taken last Saturday after suffering a brain hemorrhage during a
photo shoot for the New Yorker magazine.

"Christopher Perez" wrote in message
. ..
Next to Saint Ansel, Avedon was one of my favorite photographers. Seems
that he "went down shooting". What a way to go.

He was a great man, great photographer. If people have to ask why, then they
would never understand.

A lot of his portraits were a con though. He used to "trick" subjects into
giving him the most grotesque poses. After I saw his show at the MMA in NYC, I
wondered why any public figure would agree to sit for him. I'm curious to see
how well his work holds up over time - now that he's passed. I'm sorry to give
an opposing view to the popular wisdom that the man was some sort of "genius",
but I find his work to be shallow and one dimensional.

jjs wrote:

"Christopher Perez" wrote in message
. ..
Next to Saint Ansel, Avedon was one of my favorite photographers. Seems
that he "went down shooting". What a way to go.

He was a great man, great photographer. If people have to ask why, then they
would never understand.

wrote in message
...
A lot of his portraits were a con though. He used to "trick" subjects into
giving him the most grotesque poses. After I saw his show at the MMA in
NYC, I
wondered why any public figure would agree to sit for him. I'm curious to
see
how well his work holds up over time - now that he's passed. I'm sorry to
give
an opposing view to the popular wisdom that the man was some sort of
"genius",
but I find his work to be shallow and one dimensional.

So make a better mark in history.

I think you've just summed it up. Avedon is more of a "historical" member of
the '60s counter-culture "scene" and that's how he'll be remembered. He was
part of a movement where the artist trancended the art.

jjs wrote:

wrote in message
...
A lot of his portraits were a con though. He used to "trick" subjects into
giving him the most grotesque poses. After I saw his show at the MMA in
NYC, I
wondered why any public figure would agree to sit for him. I'm curious to
see
how well his work holds up over time - now that he's passed. I'm sorry to
give
an opposing view to the popular wisdom that the man was some sort of
"genius",
but I find his work to be shallow and one dimensional.

So make a better mark in history.

wrote in message
...
I think you've just summed it up. Avedon is more of a "historical" member
of
the '60s counter-culture "scene" and that's how he'll be remembered. He
was
part of a movement where the artist trancended the art.

Yes, it's something like that. I can't put Avedon into proper historical
perspective. Call it an experiential prejudice. Some of us saw it happen, so
we feel close to his work, for better or worse. Alexey Brodovitch was a
magic mentor who fostered a new trend in the USA, breaking an earlier mode.
I don't recall who else influenced the break in part because I stopped being
terribly concerned about Avedon's work in about 1966. But historical...
yes, that's what makes Art, and trends.

I do admire the man's energy in any event.

wrote in message
...
I think you've just summed it up. Avedon is more of a "historical" member
of
the '60s counter-culture "scene" and that's how he'll be remembered. He
was
part of a movement where the artist trancended the art.

Yes, it's something like that. I can't put Avedon into proper historical
perspective. Call it an experiential prejudice. Some of us saw it happen, so
we feel close to his work, for better or worse. Alexey Brodovitch was a
magic mentor who fostered a new trend in the USA, breaking an earlier mode.
I don't recall who else influenced the break in part because I stopped being
terribly concerned about Avedon's work in about 1966. But historical...
yes, that's what makes Art, and trends.

I do admire the man's energy in any event.

I was at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth (Texas) this week, and they
had a display of Avedon's B&W prints of "modest" sizes (20x24", 20x30"
etc) of mainly American western persons (not famous, pig farmer etc.) as a
prelude to their show next year, viz.:


quoting http://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions_set.html


In the American West: Photographs by Richard Avedon, A Twentieth
Anniversary September 17, 2005 to January 8, 2006

In 1979, the Amon Carter Museum commissioned renowned photographer Richard
Avedon to create a portrait of the American West. The resulting 1985
exhibition, In the American West: Photographs by Richard Avedon, was
widely regarded as a landmark in photographic history and a definitive
expression of the power of photographic art. His unflinching portraits
continue to challenge the stereotypes of the West and westerners,
capturing the unknown and often marginalized people who work hard,
uncelebrated jobs.

In commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of this history-making
project, the Carter presents a special exhibition of 78 of the 124
original photographs. The life-sized, unframed images are mounted on
aluminum panels and have been identified as Avedon's most important body
of work.
----
end-quote

fyi - bobm

--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************

I was at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth (Texas) this week, and they
had a display of Avedon's B&W prints of "modest" sizes (20x24", 20x30"
etc) of mainly American western persons (not famous, pig farmer etc.) as a
prelude to their show next year, viz.:


quoting http://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions_set.html


In the American West: Photographs by Richard Avedon, A Twentieth
Anniversary September 17, 2005 to January 8, 2006

In 1979, the Amon Carter Museum commissioned renowned photographer Richard
Avedon to create a portrait of the American West. The resulting 1985
exhibition, In the American West: Photographs by Richard Avedon, was
widely regarded as a landmark in photographic history and a definitive
expression of the power of photographic art. His unflinching portraits
continue to challenge the stereotypes of the West and westerners,
capturing the unknown and often marginalized people who work hard,
uncelebrated jobs.

In commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of this history-making
project, the Carter presents a special exhibition of 78 of the 124
original photographs. The life-sized, unframed images are mounted on
aluminum panels and have been identified as Avedon's most important body
of work.
----
end-quote

fyi - bobm

--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************

wrote:

A lot of his portraits were a con though. He used to "trick" subjects into
giving him the most grotesque poses.

So what? Artist's vision and discretion...

I think you've just summed it up. Avedon is more of a "historical" member of
the '60s counter-culture "scene" and that's how he'll be remembered. He was
part of a movement where the artist trancended the art.

That's an opinion, not a vaild historical assessment. Your
comment is like saying the Beatles will only be remembered
for Beatlemania and the 60's social revolution they created
-- a rock group who "transcended" their art. But that's not
true at all. In fact they continue to influence all the modern
music we hear and likely Avedon influences a great many
photographers.

Reminds me of the critic (who now no one remembers)
who said the Beatles would only be remembered for
the song "yesterday," or the critics who said Ansel Adams
was merely a postcard photographer...