MAY - BOOK CLUB THURSDAY: RICHARD AVEDON

Our Artist Spotlight for May is American photographer, Richard Avedon. I have shared a few blog posts about Avedon this month (Featured below), but now it is time to bring it full circle with our book for the month. I searched for biographies and books that somehow related to Avedon and/or his work. I finally settled on Avedon at Work by Laura Wilson. While this book is not our typical “read”, I think it is an important glimpse behind the scenes that, in many ways, makes it more important than reading a 400-page biography.

Book ClubSuZan AlexanderMay 31, 2018SuZan Alexander Fine Art PhotographyRichard Avedon, Reading, BooksComment

RICHARD AVEDON QUOTE - MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Inspiration and InfluencesSuZan AlexanderMay 28, 2018Richard Avedon, Motivational Monday

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY FLICK

Our Artist Spotlight this month is Richard Avedon. As I began reading more about him, I found several references and articles about his connection to the 1957 movie, “Funny Face”. Surprised? So was I.

It has been a long time since I watched the movie that starred a very young Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, and a bevy of Hubert de Givenchy designed costumes. But, that is a whole blog post in and of itself. Let’s talk about the Avedon “connection”, shall we? You know how I compile trivia lists for you as my contribution to your “cocktail party conversation” repertoire, well here you go:

OVERVIEW

I admit, I never really paid attention to fashion photography, until recently. Naturally, as part of this “discovery”, I began seeking out Avedon’s images to study. Avedon is highly regarded for his work in the fashion industry. He was a photographer for Harper’s Bazaar (1945-1965)and Vogue (1966-1990) so you can readily find his work if you search. I find myself appreciating his clean, elegant compositions, rich tonal range, but, usually, his images include a surprising twist. The iconic photograph, “Dovima with Elephants” comes to mind. (Click HERE to see the image on MoMA’s website.) Who would think of featuring a famous model, wearing a Dior evening gown, positioned between two elephants? Richard Avedon, that’s who.

JOURNAL

OVERVIEW