Tiffinbox

Avedonian Mania

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I must be experiencing some form of grief.

Less than 24-hours since Richard Avedon died, I bought a book about the way he worked. His image of the fashion model Dovima standing perilously close to two towering elephants is my favorite. In the documentary by PBS, Avedon says he sees this image as a failure because the model's sash lay limp in the final image. I think he wanted it flying off to the model's right so that it would help lead the viewer's eye into the model and presumably her clothes to complete the picture. It's still an amazing image. Coming a close second is the image of a bee keeper from The American West series.

In addition to the book, I simply had to get a poster print of Avedon's as well. And to my utter amazement, I was able to get both of my favorite Avedon images on one print!

Here it is and this is where you can get it:

© Richard Avedon

Next on the list is the PBS documentary about Avedon's life on DVD. Perhaps for Xmas.

OBIT: Richard Avedon, 81

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Via New York Times

“I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.” – Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon died yesterday in San Antonio. He had suffered a stroke several days before when he was on assignment for The New Yorker.

The image you see below is an example of his exquisite portraiture work for the book project “The American West.” Today, I finally bought Laura Wilson's book, Avedon At Work, that describes this controversial project.

© Richard Avedon

Be sure click on MULTIMEDIA on the right-hand side of the NYT page for links to Avedon's work and a review of Avedon's show by Michael Kimmelman.

Here is the Associated Press story about Richard Avedon's death.

Pavlovian Experiences in NYC

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Mark your calendars for October 12, 2004. Suketu Mehta whose most recent book about Bombay called Maximum City and Ram Rahman a visual artist based both in Delhi and New York will discuss their new work and remember Raghubir Singh at the Rubin Museum of Art.

Located at 150 W. 17th Street, the this presentation by Sepia International/The Alkazi Collection and co-sponsored by the South Asian Journalists Association begins at 7pm. Cost: $15

Critically acclaimed writer Suketu Mehta reads from his newly released book Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (Knopf, 2004) in a presentation illustrated with images by the photographer Raghubir Singh (1942-1999); then, noted photographer Ram Rahman will present Singh's work in the context of international contemporary photography. Mehta and Rahman will also engage in a discussion focusing on Singh‚s life and accomplishments, as well as how the late photographer‚s innovative vision of India has helped shape the world's understanding of the South Asian nation and its complex culture.

I missed the opening reception of the Raghubir Singh Retrospective last night at Sepia International. But the show will go on through December 30. I'll be in NYC on October 15 conducting a one or two-day photography workshop for beginners and we may just amble over to the exhibit to soak up some inspiration. If you are interested in knowing more about this workshop, this is your chance to email me at: tiffinbox[at]pipalproductions[dot]com.

Here is what the press release says about the Raghubir Singh exhibit:

Sepia International is pleased to present a retrospective of 45 works by the late Raghubir Singh (1942-1999), a pioneer in color photography who helped to revive and redefine the medium in the 1970s. Singh, who was born in India and lived and worked in London, Paris, and New York, is known for dramatic – yet never sentimental – images of his homeland. His work transcends the label of “documentary photography” and features sweeping scenes and iconic symbols that offer viewers complex portraits of India that straddle the ancient and the modern, the intimate and the chaotic. The prints on view at Sepia from September 30-December 30, 2004 represent Singh‚s signature approach of dividing and organizing pictorial space, his subtle balance of muted tones and occasional bursts of vibrant hues, as well as his command of light. As the artist John Baldessari wrote of Singh, “He uses light in a way that appears holy. His employment of color should make some painters envious and his shifts in space call to mind Velazquez.”

I am drooling like Pavlov's dog.

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