AMERICAN MASTERS: RICHARD AVEDON: DARKNESS AND LIGHT (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series that explores the lives and achievements of America's most celebrated native-born and adopted artists and performers. This edition focuses on photographer Richard Avedon and uses interviews with family, friends, and the subject himself to examine his life and career. Narrator Kathryn Walker begins with a brief history of Avedon's start as a fashion photographer in post-World-War-II Europe, bringing glamour back to the field at Harper's Bazaar and Vogue magazines. Models Dorian Leigh Parker, China Machado, and Benedetta Barzini talk about the way in which Avedon changed the previously posed and formal field of fashion photography to one imbued with movement and athleticism, and Avedon comments on working with Alexey Brodovitch, Carmel Snow, and Diana Vreeland at Harper's Bazaar. He also comments on the influence of his sister on his choice of models, and on the famous image he created of an elegant woman flanked by elephants. Critic Martin Harrison recounts the Paris fashion shoot with Mike Nichols and Suzy Parker that developed into a media riot and tabloid-news story, and creative director Polly Allen Mellen discusses Avedon's years at Vogue and his famous photograph of Nastassia Kinsky posed with a snake. Avedon expresses his interest in capturing the human face, especially its complexities and contradictions, after which he is shown photographing Andre Gregory in a master class. John Lahr shares his thoughts on his father Bert's figurative capture by Avedon, and singer Andrea Marcovicci does the same on the photographer's dark portraits of author Dorothy Parker. Further insights into his portrait photography are given by Avedon himself, who recalls the interaction of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor during a photo session, Charlie Chaplin's clowning around, the hidden side of Marilyn Monroe, and the sincerity of Oscar Levant. Sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay speaks about Avedon's visions for his photo sessions, and Judith Thurman, Isak Dinesen's biographer, explains how the photographer captured Dinesen's greed and avarice. Avedon and model/actress Lauren Hutton explain his vision of advertising as selling illusions and images, not products; their discussion is followed by a photo shoot for the 1995 Pirelli calendar and clips from the photographer's television commercials for Obsession and Coco perfumes. Critic Owen Edwards describes Avedon's move from fashion photography to more artistic work, after which Avedon and his son John discuss his series capturing Avedon's dying father, and writer Julius Lester muses on Avedon's work as reinforcing the link we all have to death. Next, Avedon concentrates on his series of photos of the American West, and two of his sitters from that period, Billy Mudd and Sandra Bennett Schott, reveal how the experience affected them. Avedon and subject Ronald Fischer then discuss the startling picture of Fischer's naked torso covered with bees. Editor Tina Brown and writer Francine Du Plessix Gray concentrate on Avedon's human qualities as seen in his work, and photographers Amy Arbus, Lizzie Himmel, and Hiro explain what it is like to work under his direction. The program closes as Mike Nichols discusses the way in which Avedon confronted his fears by photographing them.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Rosalind P. Walter, 1999.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: January 24, 1996 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:25:22
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:58619
- GENRE: Arts documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Photographers; Art, American; Fashion; Photography
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- For "American Masters" series:
- Susan Lacy … Executive Producer
- Jac Venza … Executive Director
- Thomas Wagner … Series Theme Music by
- For "Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light":
- Helen Whitney … Producer, Writer
- Karen Bernstein … Associate Producer
- Jane Barnes … Associate Producer, Writer
- Tamar Hacker … Production (Misc.), Production Manager
- Helen Whitney … Director
- Rosemary Fishel … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
- John Adams … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
- Kathryn Walker … Narrator
- Robert White … Instrumentalist
- Christina Schmidt … Instrumentalist
- Brian Farrell … Instrumentalist
- Amy Arbus
- John Avedon
- Richard Avedon
- Benedetta Barzini
- Alexey Brodovitch
- Tina Brown
- Charlie Chaplin
- Isak Dinesen
- Duchess of Windsor, The (See also: Simpson, Wallis Warfield)
- Edward, Duke of Windsor (See also: Edward VIII, King of Great Britain)
- Owen Edwards
- Ronald Fischer
- Gray, Francine Du Plessix
- Andre Gregory
- Martin Harrison
- Lizzie Himmel
- Hiro
- Lauren Hutton
- Ricky Jay
- Nastassia Kinsky
- Bert Lahr
- John Lahr
- Julius Lester
- Oscar Levant
- China Machado
- Andrea Marcovicci
- Polly Allen Mellen
- Marilyn Monroe
- Billy Mudd
- Mike Nichols
- Dorian Leigh Parker
- Dorothy Parker
- Suzy Parker
- Sandra Bennet Schott
- Carmel Snow
- Judith Thurman
- Diana Vreeland