ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Featuring more than 50 works from the collection of the Center for Creative Photography (CCP), Richard Avedon: Among Creatives presents the work of legendary American photographer Richard Avedon (1923-2004), highlighting his distinctive photographic portraits of fellow artists, actors, writers, and more, in addition to his contributions to fashion photography.
Richard Avedon, Marian Anderson, contralto, New York, June 30, 1955. Gelatin silver print. Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona: Purchase, 87.34.1. Copyright © The Richard Avedon Foundation
Born in New York and with an early interest in photography, Avedon first gained prominence as a fashion photographer by working for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. As the scope of his career broadened, he trained his lens on many of the most influential figures of his time, among them fellow creative people from the fields of art, music, literature, film, and design. Through Avedon’s unflinching eye and technical prowess, their appearances and expressions become amplified for our scrutiny, prompting us to consider the gaps between their private lives and public personas. A celebrity himself, Avedon once said: “My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” His photographs of those from creative fields, especially, reflect Avedon grappling with his own fame, morality, and legacy.
Together, Avedon’s portraiture and fashion photography showcase his unique approach to portraying artistry and foreground the ingenuity he brought to photographing people.
Richard Avedon, Marilyn Monroe, actor, New York, May 6, 1957. Gelatin silver print. Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona: Richard Avedon Archive/Gift of the artist, 89.107.10. Copyright © The Richard Avedon Foundation
Header: Installation view of Longer Ways to Go: Photography of the American Road. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo: Airi Katsuta
EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Richard Avedon: Among Creatives is co-organized by Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is curated by Emilia Mickevicius, PhD, the Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography, and is drawn from the larger traveling exhibition, Richard Avedon: Relationships, curated by Rebecca Senf, PhD, Chief Curator at the Center for Creative Photography
All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation, with additional significant support provided by Joan Cremin.
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