In an exhibition entitled “Portraits 1969-1975,” fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon showcased three of what would become his most well-known photographic murals. Large-scale group photos of antiwar protesters, the Chicago Seven; the people behind the Vietnam War, the Mission Council; and artist Andy Warhol and his Factory were first exhibited at the Marlborough Gallery in New York.
Struck by the murals’ beauty and boldness, American art dealer Larry Gagosian asked permission from Avedon’s estate and worked closely with the Richard Avedon Foundation to create Avedon: Murals and Portraits. The book centers on four of Avedon’s photographic murals—the three that Gagosian originally saw, plus another set featuring poet Allen Ginsberg and his extended family. It also features over 60 related photographs which Avedon took between 1969 and 1971.
The book contains essays, illustrations, poems, scripts, magazine covers, and newspaper clippings to contextualize the images. Featuring a preface where Gagosian details the book’s genesis, Avedon: Murals and Portraits also includes a brief introduction from the photographer’s son John F. Avedon, who shares some personal memories of his father.
Available in major bookstores.
This story was originally published in Northern Living, August 2014.
Writer: MARAH S.D. RUIZ
