American photographer Richard Avedon produced portrait photographs that defined the twentieth century. The exhibition Richard Avedon People explores his photographic practice and includes iconic portraits from the Richard Avedon Foundation collection.
Avedon’s work as a fashion photographer was ground breaking for its flair and dynamism. He also photographed cultural and political figures who strongly influenced life and society in the twentieth century and he created inspiring photographic portraits of performers, artists, writers and countercultural leaders.
Avedon was also committed to the freedom of the individual in society and he produced captivating photographs of people on the streets of New York in the late 1940s, at Santa Monica Beach in the 1960s, and across the American West.
By embracing the differences that make us who we are, Avedon’s portraits are compelling for the time in which they were made, and for our own time. All photographic prints in the exhibition are gelatin silver prints produced by Richard Avedon and his studio during his lifetime.
Curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s Senior Curator, Dr Christopher Chapman in partnership with the Richard Avedon Foundation, New York, Richard Avedon People is the first Australian exhibition of Avedon’s work.
The Foundation was established by Avedon in his lifetime and encourages the study and appreciation of Avedon’s photography through exhibitions, publications and outreach programs.
Richard Avedon People
National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Exhibition continues to 24 November 2013
Entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.portrait.gov.au for details.
Image: Elizabeth Taylor, cock feathers by Anello of Emme, New York studio, July 1964
