Cover of “Avedon 100,” published by Gagosian, May 2023. © The Richard Avedon Foundation, courtesy of Gagosian

Written by Wenjie (Demi) Zhao

Photo Edited by Billy Chen

Copy Edited by Kee’nan Haggen

““It’s trivializing to make someone look ‘sage,’ ‘noble,’ or even conventionally beautiful when the real thing is so much crazier, contradictory, and therefore fascinating.””

— Richard Avedon

Intricacies, paradoxes, and idiosyncrasies — every subtle nuance lurking in human nature is illuminated through Avedon’s lens, now on full display at Gagosian, 522 West 21st Street, from May 4 to June 24.

Richard Avedon (1923-2004), a native New Yorker, captured thousands of photographs throughout his prolific sixty-year career, actively shaping the language of photography. A century later, Gagosian’s latest exhibition, Avedon 100, celebrates Avedon’s birth centenary with an extraordinary showcase of Avedon’s subjects, spanning his work in fashion, advertising, portraiture, as well as his In the American West series glamour of Paris or Warhol’s factory, and contentious factions surrounding the war in Vietnam. “It is hard to get your arms around the entirety of Richard Avedon’s work and process just how enormous his influence has been,” says Larry Gagosian, “Avedon depicted the way we are.”

Richard Avedon. *Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, headed by Julian Bond, Atlanta, Georgia, March 23, 1963.* © The Richard Avedon Foundation, courtesy of Gagosian

This special retrospective exhibition brings together over a hundred unique voices to commemorate Avedon’s significant and lasting influence on global visual culture. Unlike the traditional approach of working with a single curator, this exhibition harnesses the insights of numerous contributors, each adding to the narrative of Avedon's remarkable career. Among these voices are 150 top creatives — including artists, designers, musicians, curators, and representatives from the fashion world — ranging from Hilton Als to Paloma Picasso, Karlie Kloss to Vince Aletti. Each contributes thoughtful and enthusiastic reflections on Avedon's enduring impact on art and photography.

The diverse compositions, expressive poses, and effusive flow of expression in Avedon’s works direct our gaze, creating a sense of dynamic movement and engaging dialogue. He conjures balance and rhythms, enabling the viewer’s eye to move effortlessly through each image. Yet, tension and contrast persist, particularly through the use of lighting and facial expressions. Adept at capturing his subjects in motion, Avedon is a master of creating rhythm and movement within his images.

Richard Avedon. Sandra Bennett, twelve year old, Rocky Ford, Colorado, August 23, 1980. © The Richard Avedon Foundation, courtesy of Gagosian

In Avedon’s images, the background disappears into a sea of white, a blank canvas that allows his subjects to take center stage. The essence of their souls are transmitted through the photographs, capturing each fleeting emotion with the click of his camera. Delicate threads of light weave together each image, wrapping around the contours of faces and bodies, sculpting them into timeless monuments of beauty and strength. Avedon’s lens carves out a world in grayscale, where the absence of color only magnifies the intensity of the emotions that radiate from each frame.

Avedon passed away on October 1, 2004, while on assignment for The New Yorker in San Antonio, Texas, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Contrary to many expectations, he did not want a memorial service. He had firmly instructed his family against holding one. Obituaries ran in newspapers around the world and tributes were printed in the magazines. But no public coffin. No long lines of mourners or emotional eulogies. It’s as if Avedon had only momentarily disappeared, continuing his work photographing people somewhere in the world.

Richard Avedon. *China Machado, suit by Ben Zuckerman, hair by Kenneth, New York, November 6, 1958.* © The Richard Avedon Foundation, courtesy of Gagosian

Throughout his career, Avedon saw poses, attitudes, clothing and accessories as vital elements in his images, revealing hidden nuances. The complex layers of his subjects and various personas are mesmerizing to recount today. He had unwavering faith in the two-dimensional nature of photography, skillfully manipulating its rules to suit his stylistic and narrative intentions. As Avedon wittily remarked, “My photographs don’t go below the surface. I have great faith in surfaces. A good one is full of clues.” With each gaze piercing through the veil of time, Avedon’s photography is both immortal and enigmatic, where each image serves as a window into the soul, and the simple elegance of black and white speaks louder than words.

For more information, visit Gagosian’s website.