With the Perth Fashion Festival just around the corner it’s timely that the Art Gallery of WA is exhibiting the works of American photographer Richard Avedon, the man who has been called the ‘most significant portraiture photographer of his time’, and responsible for changing the face of fashion photography. While it was wonderful to see his portraitures of celebrities and influential people, there was something else that stopped me in my tracks.
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| Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris August 1955 Photograph by Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation
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Richard Avedon’s (1923 to 2004) commenced his career photographing for Harper’s Bazaar, followed by a 20-year partnership with Vogue . Later, he established strong collaborations with Egoiste and The New Yorker, becoming staff photographer for The New Yorker in 1992. He was fascinated with using photography to explore behind the veneer to reveal the real personality and life of his subjects.
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| Richard Avedon photographer New York July 23 1969 Photograph by Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation
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However he was also interested in using portraiture to highlight human rights issues, and provide an unflinching look at American society at a particular place and time.
These are presented alongside portraits of the unknown American working class.
AGWA Director, Stefano Carboni opened the exhibition with QA session with the curator Christopher Chapman and Katrina Dumas from The Richard Avedon Foundation. More from them in a separate post.
‘He is known for transforming fashion photography from the late 1940s onwards, and his revealing portraits of celebrities, artists and political identities. People may be less familiar, however, with his portraiture works that capture ordinary New Yorkers, and the people of America’s West, going about their daily lives,’ Stefano continued. ‘This exhibition brings these lesser-known yet compelling portraits together with his often controversial, always captivating, iconic shots. In doing so, this exhibition provides a rounded and truly inspiring insight into Avedon’s incredible practice.’
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| Stefano Carboni
© The Ponder Room
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The gallery was full of large and small pieces, which had me pondering about why Avedon chose to photograph some people with large glass plates and not others. Was it a statement in itself that the Elizabeth Taylor image was small, while the young Snake Wrangler was huge?
- I was fascinated to read that Avedon had been commissioned by Life magazine to document life on NY streets. But after 9 months he returned his advance and kept the images to use in his own book. I’d never heard of anyone doing that before.
- However it was the street images of unknown people that struck me the most, particularly two images showing people holding newspapers reporting President JFK’s death.
- There was another image taken outside a skating venue where a woman held a sign that read ‘Put down the hate, let’s skate’, a sentiment that could still be relevant today.
How lucky are we in Perth, the second city in Australia to see this exhibition. What’s more the ticket prices have been kept low to ensure the exhibition is accessible to all.
For more information go to www.artgallery.wa.gov.au
