From April 30th to October 12th, 2025, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris presents In the American West, marking 40 years since Richard Avedon completed this seminal photographic series. Between 1979 and 1984, Avedon traveled across the western United States, photographing over 1,000 individuals from diverse backgrounds. Using a large-format camera and stark white backgrounds, he removed all distractions to capture the unvarnished humanity of miners, ranch workers, carnival performers, and drifters.
This series challenged the myth of the heroic West by offering portraits that are both intimate and disquieting. The exhibition at Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson is the first in Europe to showcase the full series of 103 images originally published in the iconic book. Visitors can also explore the creative process behind the project through contact sheets, annotated test prints, and letters exchanged between Richard Avedon and his subjects. A particularly striking piece is a preparatory Polaroid of a sunburnt oil field worker, demonstrating Avedon’s meticulous focus on gesture and presence.
Additionally, the show features engraver’s reference prints from the 1985 publication, highlighting the artist’s mastery over tonal contrast and detail. Curated by Clément Chéroux, this exhibition reinforces Richard Avedon’s lasting influence on portrait photography. To complement the show, Abrams is reissuing the long-out-of-print book that helped define how a generation visualized the American West.
Boyd Fortin, thirteen year old rattlesnake skinner, Sweetwater, Texas, March 10, 1979
Courtesy of THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION
Ruby Mercer, publicist, Frontier Days, Cheyenne, Wyoming, July 31, 1982
Courtesy of THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION
Petra Alvarado, factory worker, on her birthday, El Paso, Texas, April 22, 1982
Courtesy of THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION
Clarence Lippard, Drifter, Interstate 80, Sparks, Nevada, 29 August, 1983
Courtesy of THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION