Linda Roman

Ms. Dooley
Photo 1
October 5, 2010

“Artist as Mentor” Assignment: Research: Mentor Biography

My mentor is a photographer named Richard Avedon. He is from the United

States of America. My favorite of his works are his portrait photographs of Kate Moss
(May 1998), Bob Dylan (Central Park, New York, February 10, 1965), Marlon Brando
(New York, April 19, 1951), Dovima with elephants (August 1955), Dorian Leigh with
bicycle racer (August 1949), Twiggy (January 1968), Veruschka (January 1967), and
Jean Shrimpton (August 1965). I chose Richard Avedon as my mentor because I very
much enjoy portraits and they seem to be his specialty.
Richard Avedon was born in New York City on May 15, 1923 and died in San
Antonio, Texas on October 1, 2004. If he were still alive, he’d be eighty-seven years
old. He started as a photographer for the Merchant Marines in 1942, taking
identification pictures of the crewmen with his Rolleiflex camera given to him by his
father as a going-away present. He was discovered while working as an advertising
photographer for a department store. He soon set up his own studio and thrived in
the field of photography.
Portraits are the main focus of Richard Avedon’s photography. One of my
favorite photos is the one he took at Central Park, New York on February 10, 1965.
It’s a black-and-white portrait of Bob Dylan. I like how the subject’s in the center of
the photo, the background is fairly symmetrical, the subject’s mood seems to be
captured perfectly in his facial expression, and the overall composition of it. It
seems to have a deeper meaning to it. Another photo I really like is the Veruschka
photo taken in New York on January of 1967. It is also a black-and-white photo. In
the photo, there is a lady and she seems to have the longest legs in the universe.
The focus of the photo is her legs and it’s just a beautiful composition. There is
movement in the photo, a great sense of value, and great use of line. Both photos
aren’t close up. They’re shots of the subject’s complete body, which works in both
occasions. In the first photo I mentioned, I think Avendon wants the viewer to feel
the mystery radiating off of Bob Dylan’s eyes. Also, feeling allured and intrigued. In
the second photo, there is more of a sense of excitement and youthful joy. I would
title the first photo Sinking Deep and the second one Soar.
Richard Avedon was a well-known photographer. He was able to photograph
many famous people including: artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, and
politicians. He has several books and collaborations with other artists like Alice in
Wonderland (1973) and An Autobiography (1993). His work is displayed in more
than thirty-one museums, institutions, galleries, and more. To name a few: The Art
Institute of Chicago, International Museum of Photography, Museum of Fine Arts,
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, and the San
Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

“If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as

though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had
forgotten to wake up.” --Richard Avedon