Richard Avedon Behind the Scenes: A Controversial Look at His Process
Before he became a master printer and photographer in his own right, Gideon Lewin spent 16 years as an assistant to Richard Avedon—a period of time he thoroughly documented, as seen in the nearly 200 photographs that comprise Avedon: Behind the Scenes 1964-1980. PowerHouse Books published the book just this month, but it’s been a long time coming: It was back in 2009 that Lewin finalized his publishing plans with seemed to be the Avedon Foundation’s blessing—at least until, he claims, Avedon’s family read the part in which he said that the legendary photographer “never went into the darkroom” to do prints himself in the book’s accompanying essay. Eventually, the foundation sued Lewin for copyright infringement. But Lewin’s relationship with Avedon—the one that’s at the center of the book—couldn’t be more different; Avedon not only permitted Lewin to use his studio and assistants for his own photographic practice, but allowed Lewin to document the “light and fun side” of himself that was key to his work, but largely forgotten in his legacy, for more than a decade and a half. Get a closer look at their time together, from playing relatively safe with Lauren Hutton on set to venturing to snowy Japan with Veruschka, here.
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Richard Avedon, Lauren Hutton on set, Vogue, September 1974. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Veruschka being styled, Hokkaido, 1966. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Avedon with collage, 1965. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Rene Russo and Suga in dressing room. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Polly Mellen and Patti Hansen creating “the look,”for Vogue, December 1977. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Avedon, Hiro, Arbus, The Master Class, 1967. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Inspecting the tan, with Rene, for Vogue, Baja,1974. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Ara Gallant creating a bracelet for Veruschka, Tokyo, 1966. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Avedon and Ben Fernandez, The Master Class, 1967. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Father and son, 1974. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
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Richard Avedon, Avedon and serpent eagle, Ireland, 1969. Featured in Avedon by Gideon Lewin, published by powerHouse Books.
