# Richard Avedon dead at 81 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077 "2004-10-01T18:36:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/1 "2004-10-01T18:36:23Z")
Couldn’t think of a clever headline. One of the best fashion photographers and worst (or cruelest) portrait photographers of his day: NEW YORK (AP) - Richard Avedon, the revolutionary photographer who redefined fashion photography as an art form while achieving critical acclaim through his stark black-and-white portraits of the powerful and celebrated, died Friday. He was 81. Avedon’s influence on photography was immense, and his sensuous fashion work helped create the era of supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. But Avedon went in another direction with his portrait work, shooting unsparing and often unflattering shots of subjects from Marilyn Monroe to Michael Moore. “The results can be pitiless,” Time magazine critic Richard Lacayo once noted of the black-and-white portraits. “With every wrinkle and sag set out in high relief, even the mightiest plutocrat seems just one more dwindling mortal.” ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/2 "2004-10-01T18:42:02Z")
Aw, man. I’ll really miss seeing his work in the New Yorker. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/3 "2004-10-01T18:58:08Z")
The model for Fred Astaire’s character in **Funny Face** – and a “visual consultant” on that film. [Here](http://www.veredart.com/lehr_page_images/avedon_dovima_with_elephant.gif)’s a photo that came up in a recent discussion with a friend. I’m definitely a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/4 "2004-10-01T19:03:49Z")
I have kind of a problem with him . . . An actress acquaintance of mine (character actress, ordinary-looking gal) was photographed by him for _The New Yorker_, and when it was published, she cried for a week: every wrinkle, sag, jowl was not only shown, but accentuated. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/5 "2004-10-01T20:03:54Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I have kind of a problem with him . . . An actress acquaintance of mine (character actress, ordinary-looking gal) was photographed by him for _The New Yorker_, and when it was published, she cried for a week: every wrinkle, sag, jowl was not only shown, but accentuated. Did she not know of Avedon’s reputation and style? No disrespect to your friend but shouldn’t she have expected it and either refused the photo shoot or asked for a different photographer? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/6 "2004-10-01T20:23:29Z")
I was surprised to see his name in a Yahoo! headline. In what circles would I have to have moved to have previously heard of Richard Avedon? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/7 "2004-10-01T20:28:37Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Did she not know of Avedon’s reputation and style? No disrespect to your friend but shouldn’t she have expected it and either refused the photo shoot or asked for a different photographer? I think when your agent says, “Richard Avedon’s going to shoot you for a _New Yorker_ piece,” you pretty much have to say, “ummm, woo-hoo?” or kiss your career (and your agent) good-bye. Mind you, I think he was one of the genius fashion photogs of the century. I just think his portraits were cruel for the sake of cruelty, not “art.” ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/8 "2004-10-01T20:32:53Z")
I’ve never been that into photography, since so much of it is mediocre, but I’ve always like Avedon’s Beatles portraits, especially [this one](http://www.beatles-popart.com/beatles-images/bigJohnbigD.jpg) of John Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/9 "2004-10-01T20:41:48Z")
> [@Already in Use](#): > > I’ve never been that into photography, since so much of it is mediocre, but I’ve always like Avedon’s Beatles portraits, especially [this one](http://www.beatles-popart.com/beatles-images/bigJohnbigD.jpg) of John Lennon. Is that an Avedon? This one of [Oscar Levant](http://www.geh.org/taschen/htmlsrc14/m197600470002_ful.html#topofimage) is more what I had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/10 "2004-10-01T21:05:41Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Is that an Avedon? [Yes.](http://pdngallery.com/legends/legends9/) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/11 "2004-10-02T00:57:35Z")
Why do you recognize Avedon’s name? Who knows. You probably recognize some of his ages, though: like [this](http://www.fotorevista.com.ar/Maestros/Avedon/avedon4.jpg). Or [this](http://www.fotomundo.com/galeria/extranjeras/avedon/anderson.jpg). Or [this](http://www.artphotogallery.org/avedon/avedon01.jpg). Or [this](http://www.klik.gr/154/avendon/1.jpg). You get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/12 "2004-10-02T01:10:23Z")
Call me shallow and glamour-obsessed, but I prefer his fashion photography. (OK, I _am_ shallow and glamour-obsessed). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/13 "2004-10-02T01:14:16Z")
I find his fashion photos relatively run of the mill; skilled, but low on imagination. His portraits, however, I will always be in awe of. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/14 "2004-10-02T01:24:25Z")
Granted, I was completely familiar with his work until the announcement of his death. (I’d seen some of his famous ones, like the portrait of Nastassia Kinski with a snake, but didn’t know the name of the photographer). But was it really his intention with his portraits to be cruel and accentuate the flaws? From what I can see on [his website](http://www.richardavedon.com/editorial2004/newyorker/), I just get more of a sense of “uncompromising” and “showing what the subject really looks like” instead of some glamour shot. Take this [really interesting portrait](http://www.richardavedon.com/editorial2004/newyorker/theron.php) of Charlize Theron and Patty Jenkins. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/15 "2004-10-02T01:26:15Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > But was it really his intention with his portraits to be cruel and accentuate the flaws? In some cases, yes, it is the only possible explanation. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/16 "2004-10-02T01:31:53Z")
I didn’t realize he’d taken that picture of Savion Glover, who’s one of my idols. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/17 "2004-10-02T01:46:16Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I find his fashion photos relatively run of the mill; skilled, but low on imagination. His portraits, however, I will always be in awe of. Seconded. He (along with Yousef Karsh) is one of the best portrait photographers ever. [This, for example,](http://digilander.libero.it/AHepburn/foto/visoautografo.jpg) is just brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/18 "2004-10-02T02:04:24Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The model for Fred Astaire’s character in **Funny Face** – and a “visual consultant” on that film. > > [Here](http://www.veredart.com/lehr_page_images/avedon_dovima_with_elephant.gif)’s a photo that came up in a recent discussion with a friend. > > I’m definitely a fan. Don’t know if anyone is interested, but I saw this photo in an Architectural Digest article on Elton John’s homes. He has a copy of this photo hanging over the sofa in the living room of his Atlanta apartment that is approximately 4’ X 5’ in size, and it’s ensconced in a beautiful gold(en) frame, the cost of which would probably pay for a house for most of us. Man, that guy has some beautiful stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/19 "2004-10-02T17:08:05Z")
He was–how shall I say this?–versatile. Some of his portraits, like some of the ones linked to here (Lennon, Hepburn, Marion Anderson) were brilliant. And I maintain that his fashion photography was art: it had the lighting, composition, quirkiness, imagination that raised it above what you usually see in fashion mags–certainly today’s fashion mags! What I hate (and again, this is purely opinion!) are his “lean 'em up against a wall, throw harsh lighting on 'em and snap the photo” photos, several of which are in his _Times_ obit today. I don’t see that as “art,” I see it as “my driver’s license photo.” ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-avedon-dead-at-81/267077/20 "2004-10-02T20:23:31Z")
I am a huge fan of Avedon, and adore his quote, “\*\*All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth. \*\*”