Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Daniel Bowdoin wrote: > > Henry Ambrose wrote > > > . . . Avedon's pictures are from reasonably current days and guess what? > >I still don't see "The American West" in them. The people he chose are > >simply the subjects that he found interesting - again his take on what he > >saw. What he saw as a fashion photographer. There's lots more to any > >country or area than finding some "photogenic subjects" and calling them > >representative. > > > >I can see how some would call them lies. They certainly are not accurate > >images of Americans as I know them. Some of them could be "The Mexicans" > >as far as I know. . . . . > > >I don't see "The American West" > > I would respectfully point out that the title of Avedon's book was not > "The American West". It was "In the American West." I do not believe that > Avedon has ever claimed that he was trying to find "representative" > images to illustrate the western United States or that he has ever > claimed that his subjects were "representative" in the sense that you > seem to expect of him. > > Daniel Bowdoin Could have been called "Avedon clears out of Manhattan in the Summer" but it doesn't make it any less stupendous. Avedon wins the best photographer award about every year, he won it that year. Often for years in a row and recently and he's 78 years old. I guess its cool for simply to act like they are in tune with some higher path of awareness and say he is "dead inside" or some BS like that but the fact remains he is a towering insurmountable talent. The people who criticize him does deserve to tie his shoelaces let alone load his 8x10 view camera. Mark Rabiner Portland, Oregon USA http://www.rabiner.cncoffice.com/