Richard AvedonBy: Colton Macaluso

I see pictures of myself and I always knew that what I was feeling didn't look like that guy in the pictures.

-Avedon

May 15, 1923 - October 1, 2004Avedon Worked for many magazines in the

birth of his career.

Later Avedon Also worked for fashion designers: Versace, CK, Revlon

Vogue

I am always stimulated by people. Almost never by ideas.

-Avedon

Life Magazine

I hate cameras. They interfere, they're always in the way. I wish: if I could work with my eyes alone.

-Avedon

StyleBlank BackgroundMinimalisticNo props No soft lightingStraight forward photographyPortraits

Avedon would often probe his subjects with psychologically uncomforting dialogue to provoke a display of their character.

Subjects

Avedon had a wide variety of celebrities he photographed all from different walks of

fame

Andy Warhol displaying The Beatles scars

John/Jackie John FordKennedy

Nepotism?

Or just an over active imagination?

Laura Wilson was Avedon’s assistant for 6 Years

Laura Wilson is the mother to a trio of acting sons

Owen WilsonLuke Wilson

Andrew Wilson

Wilson and Avedon talking to the subject of a shoot

Tying it all together!*Wes Anderson grew up with the Wilson

brothersAvedon’s work can be seen from time to

time as influence in Anderson’s filmsMost notably The Royal Tenenbaums

Anjelica Huston was a frequent subject of Avedon’s work

Anderson also works with Huston regularly

*And my infatuation with him

Wilson’s imitation of Avedon's American West photo of Boyd Fortin

Here Anderson and Wilson reference In The American West to

cast their film Bottle Rocket

Avedon’s change of heartIn ‘74 Avedon started his battle with severe

heart inflammation

This reassurance of mortality caused him to take on a new subject after being

approached by the director of the Amon Carter Museum, in Texas.

In The American Westfocused on everyday working class people:

miners in dirty work clothes, housewives, farmers and drifters

5 Years of work

762 people

17,000 sheets of 8 x 10 film

I've photographed just about everyone in the world. But what I hope to do is photograph people of accomplishment, not celebrity, and help define the difference once again.

-Avedon

In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort, a fable by Richard Avedon.

Avedon’s last shoot was done for The New Yorker November of ‘95

Avedon died October of ’04 from a brain hemorrhage, at the age of 81, leaving behind the legacy of

his work and philosophy.