Artsy

Chicago Seven

I forgot to mention the awesome art exhibit I saw last Friday! I went to the Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea and saw the Richard Avedon show titled, "Murals and Portraits." I was initially drawn to see it because Richard Avedon is one of the grandfathers of fashion photography, having worked for Vogue and produced many iconic images for them, but apparently he worked in many other genres.

Rose Mary Woods

I was blown away by his murals, that were probably about 9-10 feet high and stretched 20 feet long. My favorite was of the Chicago Seven, a group of individuals who were charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot among other charges at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The 60s were a time of immense social, political, and cultural change, especially in relation to gay rights, women, and the Vietnam War. The three other murals were of the Mission Council (Vietnam War), Warhol and his Factory, and Allen Ginsberg's Family.  The sheer size of the works were impressive and you really had to stand in front of them for at least 10 minutes to soak it all in.

Another of my favorite shots was his portrait of Rose Mary Woods, secretary to President Nixon. Something about the portrait is just so brutally honest and pure, and I love it. The photos he took in Vietnam were very moving as well.

One of his most famous fashion shots

I HIGHLY recommend this show.