Jo Ann Holt
Richard Avedon at the Carter, a fascinating exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the inaugural presentation of Avedon’s iconic In the American West series, showcases forty of Avedon’s groundbreaking portraits now through Aug. 10. The exhibition at Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is shown alongside archival photographs captured by artist Laura Wilson, who accompanied Avedon on his travels. Rarely seen archival photos and ephemera from the installation and opening events at the Carter in 1985 are also featured.
“We are thrilled to be presenting photographs from the historic commission by the Carter that resulted in Richard Avedon’s influential series, In the American West, 40 years after we debuted the body of work in our galleries,” stated Andrew J. Walker, Executive Director at the Carter. “Photography is a cornerstone of the Museum’s collection, and this series is a testament to our commitment to not only the collecting and preservation of this medium, but our longstanding tradition of working with living artists.”
In 1979, the Carter commissioned Avedon to create a portrait of the American West. This prompted his six-year journey throughout seventeen states, photographing a range of often overlooked working-class people in the iconic style he’d formerly applied to portraits of celebrities. Known as an acclaimed fashion and portrait photographer, Avedon’s commissioning challenged the conventional portraiture standards resulting in one of the most important and influential series of the 20th century.
The forty works on view in the exhibition exemplify his signature style, all pictured against his seamless white backdrop, removing visual markers of place and focusing instead on the individuality of each subject.
“Of the many photographic treasures housed by the Carter, Avedon’s In the American West series is perhaps the most influential of them all,” said María Beatriz H. Carrión, Assistant Curator of Photographs at the Carter. “The project profoundly impacted the field of U.S. photography. It also shaped the trajectory of the Museum by catalyzing its commissioning of living artists. It is an honor and a privilege to work with this series and to shed light on the fascinating history of its making.”
Accompanying the portraits in Richard Avedon at the Carter is a selection of behind-the-scenes ephemera including the commission contract with Avedon, letters exchanged between the artist and the Carter, copies of signed photo releases by the sitters, Avedon’s travel log, as well as plans for the inaugural exhibition, guest lists, and press coverage from the opening. The 2025 exhibition also includes photographs by Laura Wilson documenting Avedon’s travels and his creative process during the production of the photographs.
Richard Avedon at the Carter is organized by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Major support for the exhibition is provided by the Leo Potishman Foundation. The Carter will celebrate the exhibition during the Museum’s free June Second Thursdays at the Carter event on June 12 from 5–8 p.m. For more information and to RSVP visit cartermuseum.org/events.
In 1979, the Carter commissioned photographer Richard Avedon to create a portrait of the American West. Intrigued by the challenge, Avedon spent the next five summers, from 1979 to 1984, traveling to 189 towns in seventeen states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming—and up into Canada. He conducted 752 sittings of the people he met on his travels, exposing 17,000 sheets of film through his large-format view camera. Each photograph of the series is titled with subject’s name, location, date, and often occupation.
The resulting 1985 exhibition, In the American West, is widely regarded as a landmark work of portraiture and a definitive expression of the power of photographic art. Two generations later, the 124 photographs of In the American West series remain some of the most important and influential portraits of the 20th century, continuing to challenge the stereotypes of the West.
Located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is a dynamic cultural resource that provides unique access and insight into the history and future of American creativity through its expansive exhibitions and programming. The Carter’s preeminent collection includes masterworks by legendary American artists such as Ruth Asawa, Alexander Calder, Frederic Church, Stuart Davis, Georgia O’Keeffe and John Singer Sargent.
The Carter is also one of the country’s foremost repositories of American photography. Admission is always free. To learn more about the Carter exhibitions and programs, please visit cartermuseum.org.
