Customer Reviews

Evidence 1944-1994

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm glad that I own this book but potential buyers should be aware that this is a history of Avedon's work, not a stunning presentation of his photographs. The book contains hundreds of images but most of them are small in size. The images are arranged chronologically with some associated text. The book also contains two essays about Avedon and a detailed bibliography listing press accounts about him. There is also a helpful list of the various books that Avedon has published.

I would recommend his other titles -- "In the American West" for example -- if you want to see the full-size, stunning photographs for which Avedon is famous.

This is a wonderful collection. I have found myself going back to it again and again. I'm not sure Adam Gopnik was such a good choice, although he is a lively writer; but the other New Yorker art critic, Peter Schejhal (sp?) would certainly have been better, as entertaining as Gopnik but more focused and memorable. But this is just a small complaint; overall, I love this book and hope that every library in the world someday owns a copy.

You want to see the best of Richard Avedon's photography? Well this is the book for you, no doubt

This is a book of photography with great detail. The book shows the photography of the artist as well as the long paragraphs about what the artist was doing during the time that he took the photograph and why he chose to take it in such a manner. The photography of Richard Avedon is showing in a variety of sizes, which is in the manner he would show his photography in a gallery. I think that works very well, because there are parts in the book where certain pages are dedicated to just one photograph. I was fascinated with the timetable of his photography, that actually takes up a fourth of the book, in which is it displayed by photographs of his work as well as his personal life. I enjoy the selection of photographs that are in this book because even though they are all portraits, they are interpreted in so many different ways. Each photograph tells something, either of the photographer or the subject that is being photographed.

The size of the book is very large, but it works perfectly with the subject it is portraying. The photographs are enjoyable in the sense that they can be seen with great detail. I don't think I would have had the same impact from the photographs if they had been placed in a book half its size. I think the only part of the book that could have been somewhat more enjoyable for me as a beginning photographer, would have been to read some information of how the photographer went about taking the photograph and what his preference in photography was. Some of the paragraphs start going into some details about a photograph but then just jump on to the next without giving an ending to the information.

The book in a whole, is a great book and I would recommend. I think that it is a great book to have if you plan on seeing professional photography.

The book is OK. Nevertheless beware: there is more text than photographs. And they are tiny in most cases. He who prefers to read about photographs rather than to see them will be pleased. I am a little disappointed.

I really liked this book. The photos are extraordianry. Fine work done by Adam Gopnik