Paweł Kuligowski
The Other America: Richard Avedon at London's Gagosian Gallery
January 2, 2026
The London art scene is gearing up for one of the most important events of the new year. The exhibition Richard Avedon: Facing West Marking the 40th anniversary of the premiere of the legendary In the American West , the exhibition will showcase rare prints, including works not publicly displayed since 1985. It's a unique opportunity to revisit the stark, unsentimental image of the United States that Avedon captured almost half a century ago.
The series In the American West , commissioned by the Amon Carter Museum in Texas from 1979 to 1984, marked a significant departure from the fashionable glamour with which Avedon is often associated. Over five years, the photographer crisscrossed twenty-one states, completing over a thousand photo shoots. Instead of politicians, artists, or celebrities, his lens focused on working-class people: miners, farmers, drifters, and blue-collar workers—people who constitute the "heart and soul" of rural America, often overlooked by mainstream narratives of success.
The works presented in London, selected from the original edition of 126 photographs, are stark, psychological portraits that have become a hallmark of the artist's mature style. Avedon employed a distinctive, rigorous method: using a large-format Deardorff 8x10 camera, utilizing only natural light, and posing his subjects against a simple, white background. He completely dispensed with props, and the preserved black negative frame was intended to emphasize the absence of framing or darkroom manipulation. This format allowed for the exclusive focus on the subject's face, posture, and clothing, drawing out their emotional truth. As Avedon himself said of his work, "All photographs are accurate. None of them tell the truth.".
The exhibition's subjects include James Story, a Colorado miner whom the photographer captured in a way reminiscent of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, combining strength with innocence. Richard Wheatcroft, a Montana farmer with whom Avedon developed a close relationship and photographed him twice, two years apart, will also be featured. The juxtaposition of these portraits reveals the subtle marks that hard work and the passage of time leave on a person.
Although In the American West is considered magnum opus , it's worth remembering that Richard Avedon (1923–2004) revolutionized 20th-century photography on many levels. Born in New York City, he began his career in the merchant marine, taking crew identification photos. However, his work for fashion magazines brought him fame. For decades, he was associated with Harper's Bazaar and Vogue The New Yorker 's first-ever staff photographer , ultimately confirming his status as a reporter and portraitist of the highest caliber.
Avedon was an artist who received numerous awards for his contributions to visual culture. In 1993, he received the prestigious Master of Photography award from the International Center of Photography, and ten years later, the Centennial Medal of the Royal Photographic Society. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His work is now held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA in New York.
The London exhibition was conceptualized by Caroline Avedon, the photographer's granddaughter and curator. Her vision shifts from a simple chronological order to a thematic narrative, leading the viewer "from darkness to light." By juxtaposing the photographs in new pairs, the curator builds fresh connections between the subjects, encouraging contemporary viewers to reflect on identity, social class, and the complexities of human fate. This personal yet universal perspective makes Facing West not just an archive of a bygone era, but a living dialogue with history.
The exhibition will run until March 14, 2026.
Photos: Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation. Courtesy of Gagosian, gagosian.com.
