Portraits

by Harold Rosenberg, Richard Avedon (Photographer)

In a collection of austere portraits of personalities including Dwight Eisenhower, Truman Capote, Rose Mary Woods, and Andy Warhol, Avedon demonstrates his aim to retain the sitter's identity and solidity of being without using illusionistic effects

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Art and Photography, Coffee Table Books, Picture Books, The United States Of America

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Steven Godin]

After a semi-interesting essay, we move on to what really counts - the photos.
Some of the more recognizable faces were - Gabriel García Márquez, Truman Capote, John Ford, Groucho Marx, Jean Renoir, Carson McCullers, Henry Miller, William S. Burroughs, and Jorge Luis Borges. Very striking and great quality images.

[Ray Dunsmore]

Richard Avedon has a preternatural gift for revealing some odd facet of his portrait subjects in every photo he takes. Every page in this book is like its own section of an autobiography, each wrinkle in the subject's face reveals a wealth of experience, of deep sorrows or joys, of a deep respect for the chaotic tumults of life. The most fascinating portrait is the fold-out of Andy Warhol's Factory, a bizarre, detached parade of debauchery. It tries to subvert every societal norm it can in personalities so purposely contrived to seem wholly unnatural. These strange insights and the beautiful grey tones of his photos prove why he's, by far, the world's greatest portrait photographer.

[Stephanie]

This book is published in a novel accordian format. So you can open the book on one side and there is text with a few pictures, but when you open it from the other side and it's only photographs. You could potentially open the whole book across your living room floor and see all the photographs at once. Pretty cool. I only gave it three stars because, although Richard Avedon's portrait photography is genius, I prefer Leibovitz style of putting her subjects in a setting that tell a story. Avedon's trademark pure white background is, well, what it is.

[Burghard]

Perfect !

[Digi M]

There is beauty in this slim book of portraiture, although most of the poses and framing are not conventional. Avedon is my favorite, similar to a painter, he has a unique way of indenting his style into the photo.

His subjects range from authors, to poets, lawyers and politicians. Some of them look not particularly pleased to be posing, others look indifferent, and a few have let the camera into their being.

Highly recommended.

[Kathie]

The photos are amazing, obviously, but the crazy accordion binding is something I could do without.

[Shelley]

Wonderful.

[Wendy]

Truman Capote mentioned Avedon in an interview, so had to check him out. He was photographer to Hollywood and high society: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Marilynne Monroe, Truman Capote, Alger Hiss, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol and the Factory, best dressed women and drifters. His portraits feature a white background and pensive faces.

[Avi O]

i got to see this in it's accordion style which was super cool

[Nieves]

Es impresionante como captura la esencia de las personas

[GONE HU I-Mael]

i highly recommended it, it's a wonderful book, i love it, really good book

[Mike]

While I enjoyed the introduction's discussion of the unavoidable photographer and the subject collaboration... the subject looks to present how he perceives himself and the photographer looks to show what he sees. And I do enjoy seeing the pictures of these mostly famous people stripped down to just themselves with little or no hint of their accomplishments or failures. But, overall, I won't remember the majority of these images tomorrow no matter how much intellectual stuff can be written on Avedon's method and reasons... and that's how I judge a photograph.

[Becca Becca]

Strange that he started out as a fashion photographer. I've seen some exhibits of his [non-fashion-photog] work, and it is jaw-dropping.

[Camelia]

learn more about potrait

[Michelle]

purchased for my library - Friday June 12th

[Paola]

Una meraviglia.

[Beth]

Excellent photographs. I enjoyed the way the photographer captured the character of each person.

[Andy]

So good!!

"My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph" - Richard Avedon

[Peter Walker]

Masterpiece. The reason I became a Photographer.

[Ray LaManna]

Terrific Portraits