In The American West

[pamphoto]

It is a shame it won't be the complete show, only 40 out of the 124 original. I wonder if they will be showing any of the large prints?

Yes, these are all the larger prints! Ill see if i can post some pictures after i visit.

 

[David Brown]

I was with 24 members of the Dallas Camera Club on a docent led visit May 20. I will go back on my own, of course, and possibly with the North Texas Film Photography group in June. It's interesting to be in a docent led group with other photographers and watching their various reactions. The docent, while not a photographer, was well prepared and very informative.

Yes, there are only 40 prints, but it would be difficult to mount all 124 due to space. Plus, in my opinion, any exhibit of more than 40 prints tends to give the viewer some fatigue after a certain point. I remember a Brett Weston show years ago with 132 prints! I love Brett's work, but I couldn't look at that many prints at one time!

Laura Wilson is giving a talk about the work at the Amon Carter on June 12.

 

[Arthurwg]

Looking at Irving Penn's "Ethnographic Portraits 1967-71" in his Met Museum book "Centennial," I immediately thought of Avedon's western portraits and wonder if those pictures were a response to Penn's. In a way I found them quite similar. After all, Penn was Avedon's major competitor, both commercially and aesthetically. And it was no secret that Avedon was generally jealous of Penn.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

No. It was exactly when a high Enron executive turned up dead in his car with an alleged suicide note, and the investigation was summarily concluded right then and there. When Kennedy was assassinated, I was only 11. That's the only way I can remember the date - a whole other round of Who Dunnit theories. I generally hated business trips with two exceptions : we were allowed to spend as much as we wanted on meals (like the best steak houses etc.), and I always booked window seats on flights, and got to look down on intervening topography in the West where I'd traveled and backpacked. So much of Nevada and the Southwest is absolutely gorgeous from the air. Too bad typical airliner windows are too fogged up for decent photography.

Sometimes the windows are really clear.
East coast somewheres:


Not sure which mountainrange, maybe the Rockies or Sierra Nevadas or Cascades??

Then Shiprock NM

 

[Pieter12]

And it was no secret that Avedon was generally jealous of Penn.

Do you have a source for that? Avedon and Penn were rivals, not enemies. Avedon had a set of Penn's cigarette butt photos in his personal collection.

According to Laura Wilson, this was not Avedon's initiative. The Amon Carter Museum approached him about doing the project. Also, if Avedon had been inspired by Penn's work for In The American West, it would have more likely been the Small Trades portraits.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Alan - yeah, Shiprock is evident in the second photo. The first aerial shot bears no resemblance whatsoever to either the Sierra or the Cascades. Possibly somewhere over E. New Mexico at the southern end of the Rockies.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Richard Avedon, by Irving Penn

 

[DREW WILEY]

Alan - I double checked on Google Earth. That aerial shot does indeed look like the Mt Taylor area southwest of Albuquerque in New Mexico. It's actually in south central NM. Mt Taylor is an extinct volcano over 11,000 ft high, so winter snow would be typical. The long straight lava flow to its south is a Natl Monument.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Seriously? Texas is perfectly safe. I've raised 2 kids here and have traveled extensively all over the state for 50+ years. We are home to three of the largest cities in the US so don't listen to whatever news stations you are seeing. Go see the Amon Carter and have some BBQ.

I traveled through Texas, including your wonderful city as a German tourist and never felt unsafe. Also lived in Detroit for 30 years and never felt safe.

 

[Flashcam]

Over many years Texas has mostly felt like a very safe place to do photography, when doing it inside a studio, or with a crew.

 

[warden]

Also lived in Detroit for 30 years and never felt safe.

You surely must be kidding.

 

[Flashcam]

(Texas Old West Re-enactors all over the place)

 

[Arthurwg]

Do you have a source for that? Avedon and Penn were rivals, not enemies. Avedon had a set of Penn's cigarette butt photos in his personal collection.

According to Laura Wilson, this was not Avedon's initiative. The Amon Carter Museum approached him about doing the project. Also, if Avedon had been inspired by Penn's work for In The American West, it would have more likely been the Small Trades portraits.

Suggest you start with "Avedon: Something Personal," by Norma Stevens and Steven Aronson (2017)_ Although Avedon and Penn were friendly, it was well known that Avedon was afraid he would be remembered only as a fashion photographer, while Penn would be considered a great artist.

 

[Pieter12]

Suggest you start with "Avedon: Something Personal," by Norma Stevens and Steven Aronson (2017)_ Although Avedon and Penn were friendly, it was well known that Avedon was afraid he would be remembered only as a fashion photographer, while Penn would be considered a great artist.

True. I reread the chapter about Penn and Avedon and there was certainly some resentment on Avedon's part about Penn being accepted by the art world (especially Szarkowsky at the Met). But there is little mention of jealousy, except a quote that Avedon was quite jealous of Penn's marriage to Lisa Fonseca. He certainly respected Penn's work but does not come across as jealous in the book.

 

[Arthurwg]

Did you read the chapter quoting Avedon's psychiatrist, Robert Millman? I think he talked about that as well. And yes, he greatly respected Penn's work, which may have been part of the problem.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Did you read the chapter quoting Avedon's psychiatrist, Robert Millman?

Whatever happened to doctor-patient priviledge?

 

[Pieter12]

Did you read the chapter quoting Avedon's psychiatrist, Robert Millman? I think he talked about that as well. And yes, he greatly respected Penn's work, which may have been part of the problem.

I re-read that one, too. The only mention is of a dream suggesting he was afraid of Penn.

Whatever happened to doctor-patient priviledge?

Dr. Millman states early on he does not abide by what he considers ”old standards” as doctor-patient confidentiality. He says he enjoys talking about his often rich and famous patients.

 

[Mike Lopez]

True. I reread the chapter about Penn and Avedon and there was certainly some resentment on Avedon's part about Penn being accepted by the art world (especially Szarkowsky at the Met). But there is little mention of jealousy, except a quote that Avedon was quite jealous of Penn's marriage to Lisa Fonseca. He certainly respected Penn's work but does not come across as jealous in the book.

Szarkowski (note the spelling) was at MoMA.

 

[Arthurwg]

Szarkowski (note the spelling) was at MoMA.

I consider Szarkowski the Moses of photography. He delivered the commandments and spoke with god-like authority from on high.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I consider Szarkowski the Moses of photography. He delivered the commandments and spoke with god-like authority from on high.

Actual photo of Szarkowski giving a lecture on Atget:

 

[Arthurwg]

Yes, that'a him!

 

[Mike Lopez]

I consider Szarkowski the Moses of photography. He delivered the commandments and spoke with god-like authority from on high.

I wholeheartedly agree. For me, some of his writings transcend their ostensible subject and are literary works of art in their own right.

 

[Pieter12]

Jeez.

 

[Pieter12]

Szarkowski (note the spelling) was at MoMA.

You missed my misnaming of Lisa Fonssagrives in post #39.

 

[Mike Lopez]

You missed my misnaming of Lisa Fonssagrives in post #39.

Oh, sorry about that. Glad you caught your error.