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Richard Avedon

William Burroughs, Writer, New York City, 1975

Description

Maker

  • Richard Avedon, 1923-2004, American

Title

William Burroughs, Writer, New York City

Year

1975

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • gelatin silver

Supports

  • paper

Dimensions

20.3 x 25.4 cm (8 x 10 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Stamped verification on verso; also:reg. no. 11edition of 50 number 7 Signed in ink across verso:Avedon

Identification

Edition

7/50

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Photographs

Credit

Museum purchase with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts

Object Number

75.096

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Facing Artists

February 27 - July 31, 2009

As Yousuf Karsh chronicled the leading lights of the mid-20th century, Richard Avedon did those of the late 20th century, although in a radically different style.
In 1969 Avedon began working with a large-format view camera, consistently photographing his subjects straight on against a stark white backdrop in even
light. He set up close to his subjects and used long exposures, forcing his subjects to remain still. It was not an arrangement that flattered his sitters. In this
portrait of William Burroughs (American, 1914–1997) —among the most famous of the Beat generation writers—he places the edgy author at the edge of the
frame. The contact print clearly delineates the ravages of a decadent lifestyle on his body, yet Burroughs’s gesture suggests he is as adventurous as ever.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is William Burroughs, Writer, New York City with the accession number of 75.096. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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