Richard Avedon - Photographs New York Wednesday, April 4, 2012 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

  • Literature

    Harry N. Abrams, Richard Avedon: Portraits, n.p.
    Random House, Avedon: The Sixties, p. 32 for a variant
    Random House, Richard Avedon: Evidence 1944-1994, p. 150

  • Catalogue Essay

    This portrait of Andy Warhol was taken in 1969, the same year as Richard Avedon's Andy Warhol and the Factory (lot 101). In keeping with Avedon's mastery in creating a portrait that captures the spirit of the subject while eschewing the usual network of clichés, the current portrait presents Warhol in an unprecedented way. In 1968, Warhol was shot in the stomach by Valerie Solanas, a brief Factory member, in an apparent homicide effort. In the current portrait, Avedon chose to portray Warhol's vulnerability and mortality, as opposed to the megastar artist and Pop Culture icon for which he was gaining widespread recognition. By doing so, Avedon successfully created a rare and personal angle of Warhol that strips him of his untouchable aura, presenting a portrait that is intimate and deeply humane.

  • Artist Biography

    Richard Avedon

    American • 1923 - 2004

    From the inception of Richard Avedon's career, first at Harper's Bazaar and later at Vogue, Avedon challenged the norms for editorial photography. His fashion work gained recognition for its seemingly effortless and bursting energy, while his portraits were celebrated for their succinct eloquence. "I am always stimulated by people," Avedon has said, "almost never by ideas." 

    Indeed, as seen in his portraits — whether of famed movie stars or everyday people — the challenge for Avedon was conveying the essence of his subjects. His iconic images were usually taken on an 8 x 10 inch camera in his studio with a plain white background and strobe lighting, creating his signature minimalist style. Avedon viewed the making and production of photographs as a performance similar to literature and drama, creating portraits that are simultaneously intensely clear, yet deeply mysterious.

    View More Works

100

Andy Warhol, artist, New York City, 8-20

1969
Gelatin silver print, printed 1975.
9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. (25.1 x 20 cm)
Signed and numbered 37/50 in ink, copyright credit, reproduction limitation, edition, title and date stamps on the verso.

Estimate
$12,000 - 18,000 

Sold for $17,500

Contact Specialist
Vanessa Kramer Hallett
Worldwide Head of Photographs
vhallett@phillips.com
+ 1 212 940 1245

Photographs

4 April 2012
New York