Avedon at Work: In the American West (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint Series) [Hardcover]

Laura Wilson (Author), Larry McMurtry (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint Series | Publication Date: November 1, 2003

"Laura Wilson shadowed the Shadower, and showed us as much as can be shown of how his work was done." --Larry McMurtry, from the Foreword Internationally acclaimed for his portraits of powerful and accomplished people and women of great beauty, Richard Avedon was one of the twentieth century's greatest photographers--but perhaps not the most obvious choice to create a portrait of ordinary people of the American West. Yet in 1979, the Amon Carter Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, daringly commissioned him to do just that. The resulting 1985 exhibition and book, In the American West, was a milestone in American photography and Avedon's most important body of work. His unflinching portraits of oilfield and slaughterhouse workers, miners, waitresses, drifters, mental patients, teenagers, and others captured the unknown and often ignored people who work at hard, uncelebrated jobs. Making no apologies for shattering stereotypes of the West and Westerners, Avedon said, "I'm looking for a new definition of a photographic portrait. I'm looking for people who are surprising--heartbreaking--or beautiful in a terrifying way. Beauty that might scare you to death until you acknowledge it as part of yourself." Photographer Laura Wilson worked with Avedon during the six years he was making In the American West. In Avedon at Work, she presents a unique photographic record of his creation of this masterwork--the first time a major photographer has been documented in great depth over an extended period of time. She combines images she made during the photographic sessions with entries from her journal to show Avedon's working methods, his choice of subjects, his creative process, and even his experiments and failures. Also included are a number of Avedon's finished portraits, as well as his own comments and letters from some of the subjects. Avedon at Work adds a new dimension to our understanding of one of the twentieth century's most significant series of portraits. For everyone interested in the creative process it confirms that, in Laura Wilson's words, "much as all these photographs may appear to be moments that just occurred, they are finally, in varying degrees, works of the imagination."

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed in the 23 April 2004 Times Literary Supplement (nothing quotable).

About the Author

Laura Wilson is a photographer whose previous books are Hutterites of Montana and Watt Matthews of Lambshead. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, the Washington Post Magazine, and London's Sunday Times Magazine. She lives in Dallas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292701934
• ISBN-13: 978-0292701939
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars tragically beautiful, January 25, 2004

By 

Yasuhiro Nakaoka "yasooo2000" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Avedon at Work: In the American West (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint Series) (Hardcover)

I think this is a wonderful book that documents and sheds light on the meaning of Richard Avedon's "In the American West" project. I spent one sunday afternoon becoming totally absorbed into this book and felt like I was there watching and feeling all the emotional things that went on within Avedon and his subjects. The story of Richard Garber made me cry. Much of the subjects suffered some form of tragedy and yet there was something very beautiful, "terrifyingly beautiful" as Avedon would say about them. After reading this book you can really see further into those images Avedon made, and mostly why he chose a particular image over another. Richard Avedon in my opinion is the greatest photographer of all time and I don't think there will be another photographer with his charisma and devotion. My only complaint about the book is that I wanted to experience more stories.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it, February 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Avedon at Work: In the American West (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint Series) (Hardcover)

The book is a gem. Not only sheds a bit of light into Avedon's technique and working methods, but also brings to life the often sad stories behind the powerful images. Highly recommended. Now, if they would only re-issue the original monograph..

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The shadowed of the Shadower, August 2, 2005

By 

Miss Divine (Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avedon at Work: In the American West (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Imprint Series) (Hardcover)

I think this book is amazing. The stories really gives you a deeper understanding of why Richard Avendon picked his subjects. Laura Wilson does a great job documenting the step by step shoots of Richard subjects "In the American West". I really felt after reading the stories and looking at the pictures again, it meant so much more. These pictures showed the truth and some of the people in the photos agreed that "It's how I feel".

I recommended this book to anyone, who is looking to find a sence of meaning to their craft as a artist. This book makes to think about yourself, and what you can do to give depth to your work.

I wish other art book would explain the process of their work. Then more people would enjoy what they see instead of brush it to the side.