Gritty portraits of ordinary American workers as seen by fashion ace Richard Avedon

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One of the most iconic photographers of the last century, Richard Avedon gained notoriety for his fashion and portrait work during his more than 50-year career.

An exhibition taking place at London’s Gagosian Grosvenor Hill gallery has been curated by Caroline Avedon, Richard’s granddaughter.

It’s been more than 40 years since the seminal In the American West series, which was first commissioned and exhibited at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas in 1985.

At the time, Avedon was best known for his work of high-profile individuals from the fashion and politics world, as well as his work with the civil rights movement. These pictures, showcasing ordinary working-class Americans was a significant departure for the photographer.

oe Dobosz, uranium miner, Church Rock, New Mexico, June 13, 1979 by Richard Avedon — Joe Dobosz, uranium miner, Church Rock, New Mexico, June 13, 1979. Photograph by Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation

Between 1979 and 1984, Avedon travelled to 21 US States for the series, conducting more than 1000 portrait sittings, resulting in 126 editioned images, of which 21 are on display in this exhibition.

For the project, he photographed a wide array of people, by way of introductions made by an assistant, Laura Wilson. The aim was to include a diverse range of professions and pastimes, photographing people who might otherwise be overlooked.

To get the shots, he would stand outside, next to the camera (an 8 x 10 Deardorff) and shoot in natural light and mostly without props. Another standout feature of the work is the retaining of the black border from the film negative edge, which results in a striking look.

For the prints themselves, they were mounted on aluminium, a new technique for the photographer at the time. Many of the prints featured in the show haven’t been since again since that debut in 1985, making this a rare and unique opportunity to see them in person if you can get to the gallery.

You can see Richard Avedon: Facing West at the Gagosian Grosvenor Hill London location until March 14^th. The exhibition is free. See the gallery’s website for more details, including opening times.