Word for Word

5 Jan 2015

Richard Avedon: People

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Richard Avedon People2 Featuring photographs from 1949 to 2002, Richard Avedon: People provides an in-depth overview of Avedon’s achievements in the art of black and white portraiture. Known for his exquisitely simple compositions, Avedon’s images express the essence of his subjects in charming and disarming ways.

Avedon’s work is a catalogue of the who’s who of twentieth century American culture, featuring instantly recognisable and influential artists, celebrities, and counterculture leaders including Bob Dylan, Truman Capote, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Malcolm X …presented alongside portraits of the unknown. Richard Avedon People1

Beyond his work in fashion and with celebrities, Avedon collaborated with writer James Baldwin on Nothing Personal (1964) — an unflinching commentary on American society. Avedon was a great believer in human rights, displaying particular interest in social freedoms, equal opportunities for African Americans and the gay liberation movement.

In this edition of Word For Word Dean Beck interviews Dr Chris Chapman, curator of the exhibition and Katrina Dumas who is the Exhibitions Coordinator at The Avedon Foundation. Chris is the Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra and worked closely with New York’s Richard Avedon Foundation to collate this exhibition of Avedon’s work.

Richard Avedon People3

Richard Avedon: People is currently exhibiting at Ian Potter Museum of Art @ University of Melbourne until 15 March 2015 is a selection of 80 black and white portraits by celebrated American photographer Richard Avedon (1923 to 2004)