Sunday, 7 July 2013

Fifty Years Of Fashion Photography

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The first retrospective exhibition of fashion photography of Richard Avedon was first inaugurated in New York. There were more than 200 photos - from his first works for the famous fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar in 1944, to his ample and impressive achievement shown in another legendary fashion magazine Vogue (some even call it the Fashion Bible), till his last work published in (The New Yorker) in the year 2001 - that offers an excellent vision of this photographer's career, considered to be the most influential in the history of fashion photography.

His arrival at Harper's Bazaar with only 21 years of age, and in the hands of the Art Director Alexei Brodovich, revolutionized the concept of fashion, creating his own very unique style, soon imitated by the posterior generations of photographers. His vast creativity and liberty of composition transcended over and beyond the objects photographed.

His technique was innovative, but much more than that was his sensibility which makes his work outstanding. Amongst his achievements, the incorporation of the environment included in his images stands out, but never overshadowing the main object. He could always count on the complicity of his models, many of them became internationally known after posing for him. In this list were tops of the era like Lauren Hutton, Twiggy (still modelling now appearing in several ads), Penelope Tree or the Spanish model Nati Abascal.

Avedon Fashion (1944-2000) is in the International Centre of Photography in New York until the 6th of September 2009. The image below is titled 'Mirror Image' Wonder who would be the photographer to present he next 50 years of fashion?
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Fred And I

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Fred and I seem to share the same mood today!

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Man: Would you like to go for walkies?
Fred: After the way you talked to me this morning .... I am still sulking!

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Fred: I am free spirit!
Man: Come here, Fred!
Fred: Whom am I kidding?

The Day-After Pill

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My first reaction on hearing the news that 'the day after' pill is now available to all girls without prescription and free for some. (costs €20 each). Good, at last, young girls are now protected from unwanted and undesirable pregnancies, a positive step ahead, necessary, bla bla bla .... A generalized and automatic reaction, not from the grey corner of the brain where it deals with negative materials and anxieties. Just 2 minutes later, recovered from the automatic and optimistic reaction, I managed to make connection between some of the indolent brain cells and committed the worst sin of the recent times, started asking questions.

Let's see: Is it really a sensible decision to avoid undesirable pregnancies? Is it more advanced socially than what has been practiced till now, that this pill was controlled, free and public, but now uncontrolled, expensive and private? Is it really benefiting the adolescents? Beyond politico and economic points of view, is this measure helpful to youngsters to practice sex with safety and maturity? Frankly my own answers to these are not really comforting.

Some girls might be physically prepared and ready for sex, but that's quite different from being mentally matured enough to face any likely consequences, or the unexpected twists and turns life might deal out. With the old system, at least they had medical, psychological and, if the girl is sensible, maybe even parental consultation and help beforehand.