The FOAM photography Museum in Amsterdam is featuring a
Richard Avedon retrospective, which I first saw in 2002 at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, but it has even more impact in these more intimate galleries. The first image you see upon arrival is Dovina and the Elephants, large sized and pristine. Wandering through the maze of rooms and floors at FOAM, it was like visiting with old friends, friends you always love spending time with and come away from filled up with ideas and insights. A terrific film accompanied the exhibition where Avedon spoke to the idea of reality and fiction in portrait photography. What jumped out at me was his statement about what happens when taking a photograph: it’s no longer a fact, it’s an opinion…

I have continued to ponder my reaction to Eggleston’s new Paris work. I wonder if, after seeing several generations of photographers inspired by his unique and transformative point of view, that perhaps his new work doesn’t feel as singular. But I admire his approach to photographing a city that is difficult to capture in a fresh way. “When people ask me what I do,” says Eggleston “I say that I am taking pictures of life today.” The photographer has often said that he attempts to photograph “democratically,” which means for Eggleston that everything may potentially be an interesting picture and that every element within the photo should be of equal importance.”

The UK Guardian had a thoughtful review worth reading. And I look forward to revisiting the work in a less crowded environment.