Exercise: In the American West.

Exercise: In the American West.

Avedon’s approach to documentary photography is so controlling that his images seemed removed from truthful recording and transferred directly to art.  His categorising of people into such groups as Botticelli Maiden, Androgynous Gentleman, High-Strung Matron, and Becket Tramp predetermines what image he expects to produce, even before the subject is in front of the camera.

All photographers will have a plan for each shoot, and an idea as to what they will achieve, but Avedon’s approach allows for little import from the subject other than his presence.  This is similar to the approach showed by August Sander when he was working with working people.  In Avedon’s case he appears to have brought the controlling techniques of his advertising work to his documentary work.

Avedon’s images are stunning but was the aim when taking them to tell the truth of the American West or was the aim to tell Avedon’s truth?  Was he forcing people into boxes to conform with own categories?  As it says in the piece, “The photographer and subject have different ambitions for the portrait.”   He himself said that he gave his sitters no more freedom of expression that Cezanne gave the apples he was painting.  

What is more important, the image or the lives of the sitters? 

Can such manipulated images still be documentary?