Avedon 100

This book was published on the occasion of Avedon 100 at Gagosian, West 21st Street, New York, an exhibition commemorating the centenary of Richard Avedon’s birth. More than 150 renowned artists, designers, musicians, writers, curators, and fashion-world representatives were asked to select a photograph by Avedon and describe how the image—and the artist—affected them. Participants include Hilton Als, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Spike Lee, Sally Mann, Polly Mellen, Kate Moss, Chloë Sevigny, Taryn Simon, Christy Turlington, and Jonas Wood, among others.

Avedon 100 celebrates Avedon’s enduring influence on photography and makes clear his profound impact on visual culture worldwide. Divided into seventeen sections, the book documents the groundbreaking periods in his varied oeuvre, including his widely known In the American West series and images of the social justice movement, as well as his classic portraiture, advertising, and fashion work. These photographs reveal the enormous and fascinating range of Avedon’s subjects, while the commentary offered by their distinguished selectors underscores the breadth and magnitude of the artist’s legacy.

The volume features a foreword by Larry Gagosian and essays by Derek Blasberg, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, and Jake Skeets; over 275 illustrations, including documentary images of Avedon working behind the scenes; and statements by each of the participating cultural figures on the significance of their selection.