Richard Avedon Fashion Photography Must Be About Something Dr

RICHARD AVEDON FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY MUST BE ABOUT SOMETHING DR. JULIA RYFF “Elegance is good taste plus a dash of daring,” was typical soft-focus element, and instead followed the his oeuvre like a thread and distinguishes Avedon one of the most quintessential figures in the New “Straight Photography” movement and championed from other photographers.15 York fashion industry at the time. Avedon said of a more direct style. Aside from commercial photography, Avedon her: “Carmel Snow taught me everything I know,” The use of animals, such as dogs or elephants also explored socio-critical issues with his camera. reflecting both, her status in the fashion world as for instance, and their interaction with the models is He documented the civil rights campaign in the well as her impact on him, his work, and his career another important trait of his fashion photographic Southern United States in the late 1960s, and later “With Avedon the camera seems less a tool of Brodovitch, who was the art director of Harper’s work shaped new ideas and he developed his own as one of the preeminent fashion photographers.9 oeuvre. Their inclusion served multiple purposes. The the war in Vietnam and anti-war protests in the presentation than a source of self-enlightenment,” Bazaar from 1934 until 1958, asked his students black-and-white visual language.6 Avedon’s fashion imagery shifts the focus from animals, often in combination with carefully chosen United States. writes New York art critic Harold Rosenberg of to develop thematic concepts such as Broadway, The work for Junior Bazaar with Bassman and the sober and unemotional depiction of fashion rural settings, such as the desert (Dovima, Egypt) Avedon was married twice. The movie Funny Richard Avedon, whose iconic fashion photographs Central Park, halloween or graffiti.2 “Astonish me. Himmel had an essential impact on Avedon’s style of items to the creation of exciting images or series of or the sea (Liz Pringle, Jamaica), intro-duced a story Face from 1957 is based on the relationship of for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, Do something new,” was Brodovitch’s motto at the imagery. He adopted innovative elements from the images that tell a story and evoke a certain lifestyle line in the photographs and invited the viewer to Avedon and his first wife Dorcas Marie Nowell along with his distinct portrait shots, had a defining Design Laboratory. He discovered and promoted magazine’s layout, such as photographing subjects with an inherent feeling of savoir-vivre.10 Deborah daydream. It also helped in attribut-ing certain (1925–2011), later known as the model and actress impact on post-war photography.1 Avedon’s unique two generations of young, talented photographers in front of an all-white background, into his own Solomon summarized that Avedon, and fellow features like quality and adaptiveness to the products Doe Avedon. The protagonists were Fred Astaire style reflects intense emotion and captures the whose image contributions were published as work (Danny Weil), and these elements became an post-war fashion photographers Lillian Bassman and displayed. Certainly, the animals in the images (1899–1987) and Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993).16 He deep-seated personality of his subjects. In challeng- full-page illustrations in the fashion magazine. essential characteristic of his images. Irving Penn, “Americanized their field, switching the created a dramatic and bodacious effect. later married Evelyn Franklin (1925–2004) and the ing the prevailing conventional sense of beauty, his Other students of Brodovitch’s at the Design This close collaboration developed into a lasting emphasis from documenting expensive buttons and Avedon’s enormous recognition in fashion two had a son, John. Avedon died in San Antonio, images blur the line between commercial photogra- Laboratory included Irving Penn (1917–2009), Hiro friendship between the Avedons and Bassman/Himmel bows to capturing the general feeling of being an photography was in part rooted in the many portraits Texas, in 2004 while on assignment for The New phy and art. (*1930), and Lillian Bassman (1917–2012). Diane who shared a country house on Fire Island from energetic post-war woman on the go.”11 of famous personalities, such as Coco Chanel Yorker to document an election campaign. He lived Avedon was born in New York in 1923 into a Arbus (1923–1971), Robert Frank (1924–2019), William 1948 until 1951 and traveled several times to Europe The January 1965 cover mock-up for Harper’s (1883–1971; Gabrielle Chanel and Suzy Parker) all his life in New York. Jewish family with a well-documented fascina- Klein (1928–2019), and Helen Levitt (1913–2009) together. Crucially, his work for Junior Bazaar also Bazaar (Jean Shrimpton) is an example of the and Marella Agnelli (1927–2019), and the fact that he According to Cecil Beaton (1904–1980) there tion for art, fashion, and photography. He started were also studying at the New York School for Social served as a stepping stone to the main magazine artistic emphasis of Avedon’s fashion images. It worked with the most popular models of the time are two kinds of fashion photographers. The ones photographing at a very early age with a Rolleiflex Research. Among them, it was Lillian Bassman in Harper’s Bazaar.7 As of 1947, Harper’s Bazaar sent also reflects the lasting impact Brodovitch had such as Suzy Parker (1932–2003; Suzy Parker and who are looking to snatch a transient snapshot, and camera given to him by his father. One of the key particular who would become a major influence in Avedon to Paris on a regular basis to shoot the haute on Avedon with his motto: “Don’t be satisfied with Mike Nichols, Paris), Twiggy (*1949), and Barbara the others who wish to create a lasting image and motifs in these early days was his younger sister Avedon’s career. Bassman gave him his first job as couture collections. Carmel Snow (1887–1961), then your first answer, work on it and find something, Streisand (*1942; Barbara Streisand with Madame capture the moment for eternity.17 Undoubtedly, Louise (1925–1968), who would remain the ideal of a professional photographer when she became art Harper’s Bazaar’s editor-in-chief, was known to be a some new way to say something that has been said a Grès). Interestingly, he rarely photographed men in Avedon falls into the latter category thanks to his beauty in his work throughout much of his career. director of Junior Bazaar, Harper’s Bazaar’s sister devotee of French fashion and influential in bringing thousand times.”12 The iconic image of Dovima in a his fashion shots. In many instances, his shots timeless photographs. It is with good reason that his In 1944, after two years in the merchant magazine, in 1945, and involved him in editorial it from Paris to New York. The 1947 Dior collection’s Dior dress with elephants reflects the move from the served as a stepping stone or launch pad for the oeuvre has redefined fashion and portrait photogra- marine, Avedon enrolled in Alexey Brodovitch’s discussions alongside her husband Paul Himmel name “New Look” came from her. When shown to dry display of fashion items to the dynamic expres- model’s career. The shooting with Isabella phy for generations of photographers, transcending (1898–1971) “Design Laboratory” class at the New (1914–2009).3 It was under Bassman that Avedon’s her in Paris by the famous designer she marvelled: sion of grandeur. Avedon himself put it this way: Rossellini (*1952) was one such example. The the genre of commercial photography. York School for Social Research in New York. The photographs were published for the first time.4 “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian, your dresses “Fashion Photography must be about interaction with the models, the subjects of his New York School was the most influential school of Avedon’s role hence transformed from student to have such a new look.”8 “New Look” was the first Something.”13 photographs, and deep-rooted passion for photography at that time and it was the first time professional, from executing to creating. He played fashion collection shot by Avedon. Even though Avedon’s fashion photographs photography—Lizzie Himmel, Lillian Bassman and Avedon received a formal education in photogra- with the effects of his photographs, and experi- The immediate post-war period in New York depict characteristics like elegance and joie de Paul Himmel’s daughter, once quipped: “Dick’s life phy. The years under Brodovitch’s tutelage proved mented with a wide range of formats as well as with saw two predominant fashion magazines: Harper’s vivre, his works differ from those of other fashion revolved around the studio”14—created an emotional formative for Avedon’s approach to photography. montage techniques and movements.5 The creative Bazaar and Vogue. Snow, famously quoted as saying: photographers at the time. He abandoned the intensity in his images that runs through Marella Agnelli, for Harper’s Bazaar, New York, 1953 Gelatin silver print Image: 45 x 35.5 cm Dovima (Dress by Claire McCardell), for Harper’s Bazaar, Egypt, 1951 Gelatin silver print Image: 35 x 27 cm Dovima with Elephants (Evening dress by Dior), for Harper’s Bazaar, Paris, 1955 Gelatin silver print Image: 216 x 165 cm CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) Suzy Parker and Mike Nichols (Skirt and top by Simonetta Fabiani), for Harper’s Bazaar, Paris, 1962 Suzy Parker and Mike Nichols (Dress by Lanvin-Castillo), for Harper’s Bazaar, Paris, 1962 Gelatin silver print Gelatin silver print Image: 40 x 40 cm Image: 50 x

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