Avedon: Photographs 1947-1977
by Dan Wagner
Back in the fall of 1978, I was a young man studying photography in New York City. Despite not having the Internet, or being a regular Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar reader – two magazines in which Richard Avedon’s photography was regularly featured – I was nonetheless an ardent admirer of his work. So when I heard that Avedon was having a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I couldn’t wait to go. Looking up at the huge banner heralding the exhibit was both intimidating and exciting.
While I no longer remember climbing the stairs, paying the nominal student entry fee, or finding my way to the show, I do remember that once inside the exhibit, Avedon’s work did not fail to please, inspire, and demand closer inspection. With 200 large prints on display, it was too much to take in at one viewing. And although 42 years have passed, in some ways I believe it’s still too much to take in. Then again, how can the works spanning three decades of any prolific photographer be reduced to a consumable number? As I exited through the gift shop, I did something I rarely do – I bought the book accompanying the exhibit, Avedon: Photographs 1947-1977.
1978 Press Release for Avedon’s Retrospective
Beautifully printed, and featuring an opening essay by noted writer Harold Brodkey, this coffee table book mirrors the photographs from the exhibit to serve as the next best thing to traveling back in time. A tour-de-force from the vivid cover photo of Marcella Agnelli, the collected photographs chronicle Avedon’s work from late 1940s Parisian haute couture to editorial magazine assignments. Portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Joan Baez taken up through the late 70’s show Avedon’s minimalist style in full bloom.
The iconic back cover photo of model Dovima with elephants is the book’s culminating shot. Surprisingly, during an interview with Charlie Rose, Avedon said that this photo was not as good as it should have been because there was no movement in Dovima’s fabric sash. Looking at the photo today, I have to agree that he was right.
Richard Avedon 1999 interview with Charlie Rose
A personal favorite photo from this book is the one of Marlene Dietrich because Avedon has captured her air of mystery. These days, however, I am more inspired by Avedon’s simple direct approach, than by a specific photo – as well as the sense that Avedon’s subjects are trying to impress him and convince him that they’re his best subjects. At the same time, Avedon wants them to think he’s the best photographer who’s ever photographed them. It’s this real or imagined dynamic that commands my attention. And that’s an Avedon photograph.
Originally published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux in 1978, and long out of print, Avedon: Photographs 1947-1977 can still be purchased at amazon.com.
Book Specifications:
Hardcover: 250 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux; 1st edition (1978)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374232008
ISBN-13: 978-0374232009
Package Dimensions: 13.9 x 10.7 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
I hope this book review will inspire you to learn more about Richard Avedon’s photography. Thanks for visiting The Cranky Camera!