THE TRAGEDY IN FERGUSON The shooting death of a young man that has sparked up a worldwide outburst. MISFIT 1
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MISFIT magazine is about making a change in the world and not being afraid to stand up for oneself and become different. why waste your life being the average day joe when you can be different, unique, and one of a kind. There is only one you in the world so rise up and take advantage of that! Misfit magazine is about celebrating the difference in all cultures ranging from art, fashion, skateboarding, and photography. A wide array of differing subcultures, ethinc
backgrounds, and religious beliefs divide all of us into subgroups that can be indentified by the clothes we wear, the foods we eat, and where we lay our heads at night. Not only do we differ on the exterior, but also on the interior as well. In the Misfit community the task is simple, to embrace the difference in the each and every individual and live life how you want to. Don’t let anyone get in the way of diversity. Celebrate the difference.
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Editor-in-Chief Monique Reidy Editorial Director Michele Stueven Art & Design Director Antoni Pham Director of Photography and Creative Services Jim Jordan Arts & Culture Editor Imaan Jilali Entertainment Editor Robyn Flans Features Editor Erika Thomas Beauty Editor Nicole Schmidt Contributing Writers Shannah Game Contributing Photographers Stephen Morales, Jane Gibson Website Design | Digital Systems Management Karen Kaiser | www.searanchimages.com Editorial Intern Nate Blackmon Published by Elysian Media Group, LLC. Publisher | President Monique Reidy Marketing and Digital Platforms Cheryl Dalton Chief Financial Officer Julie Khalil Bookkeeper Connie Shuh Legal Counsel Edward Corey, ESQ. | Stephan Hyun, ESQ. Corey & Corey Advisory Board
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Letter From The Editor
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Diverse
14. Selects
18. Tragedy In Ferguson
26. Richard Avedon
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MISFIT magazine is about making a change in the world and not being afraid to stand up for oneself and become different. why waste your life being the average day joe when you can be different, unique, and one of a kind. There is only one you in the world so rise up and take advantage of that! Misfit magazine is about celebrating the difference in all cultures ranging from art, fashion, skateboarding, and photography. A wide array of differing subcultures, ethinc backgrounds, and religious beliefs divide all of us into subgroups that can be indentified by the clothes we wear, the foods we eat, and where we lay our heads at night. Not only do we differ on the exterior, but also on the interior as well. In the Misfit community the task is simple, to embrace the difference in the each and every individual and live life how you want to. Don’t let anyone get in the way of diversity. Celebrate the difference. My name is Paul Stacey and I am the editor of MISFIT Magazine. My goal is to bring the message to the people that being different is good thing.
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diverse FOOD
T R AV EL
5 TH F L O O R
korean style tacos hit the streets the Unique Kogi bbq truck that brings a different taste in la BY PA U L S TA C E Y photoGRAPHS BY: KOGI BBQ
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hanksgiving of 2008, Kogi BBQ had first rolled out as the little Korean-taco-truck-thatcould, peddling $2.00 Korean barbecue tacos on the streets of L.A. Little did they know that within a few short months, they would become an icon of LA street food, a roving symbol of rebellion, independence and the belief that excellent food can be had on a dime budget. Kogi sets off a flavor bomb that would shake up the foundations of the industry so that street food would never be looked at the same way again. Their short rib taco which is contains two crisply griddled homemade corn tortillas, double-caramelized Korean barbecue, salsa roja, cilantro-onion-lime relish and a Napa Romaine slaw tossed in a chili-soy vinaigrette — so iconic to Kogi, would soon become anointed as an L.A. classic. Regular runs to Rowland Heights, Diamond Bar, Granada Hills, Venice and El Segundo was a silent rallying cry for people to see beyond the bubble of Hollywood and downtown and into the silent beat and rhythms that run the entire city of Los Angeles. Within a few short years of putting street food on the map of the minds of the everyday diner, Kogi has become a kind of iconoclastic symbol wherein which legends are born and rules are made to be broken. This is where Kogi steps in and celebrates the difference, they took two different cultures and bravely combined them both to create something that would become an iconic food throughout the city of Los Angeles.
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diverse FOOD
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ou might have heard a thing or two about the black beach in Vik or maybe you have seen some amazing photographs of the basalt columns and those are the weird rock formation that sticks out of the sea called Reynisdrangar, and those are what make Vik so famous to visitors. Though as you continue to explore Vik, you will learn that there are more than Reynisdrangar, or the fact that Vik is a black beach and is the wettest place in Iceland, the black beach in Vik also allures people by its hidden caves and folklore stories (which Iceland is most fond of). Along the south coast of Iceland, with only about 300 residents, Vik I Myrdal still holds the title to be the biggest village in the southernmost part of Iceland. Just about 180 km away from Reykjavik, you will get to feel the black sand and the warm welcome of the locals. Tourists who go in a day tour usually make Vik their last stop-over before they head back to the city. A fair warning to all tourists is that walking for the next 70 km will not take you anywhere but close to endless shores. Hvolsvollur is about 80 km going north from Vik so the only service center you can most likely find are the ones in Vik.
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BLACK BEACH OF ICELAND The beaches of iceland bring out the darkness and difference in beaches B y : Pa u l S t a c e y P h o t o g r a p h y : N a t i o n a l G e o g r a p h i c
The black beach in Vik is called by its local name Reynishverfi and since it is famous because of it’s black sand and basalt sea stack, tour guides are more willing to take you 10 km just before you hit Vik proper. That is where the black beach with 68m high boulders can be found. The steepest road you could ever encounter in Iceland is on a loran station, the highest part of the mountain ruins. This was built during the World War II serving as their watchtower or something. The cliffs are the solace of the ever adorable Puffins. Being in top of the mountain will obviously view the whole of Vik as well as Myrdalsjokull, the Dyrholaey and the amazing Reynisdrangar. It would definitely be an spectacular view from up there. The rock formations are formed at the bottom of the cliff, from the mountain standing proudly in front of Reynisdrangar. The black beach is a long beach with stones and rocks everywhere after the shore. The folklore is made upon these columnar creations. The legend says that these are the remains of two night trolls who were petrified as they were trying to pull three-masted ship out of the sea. The dawn caught them and had them turned into stone.
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diverse FOOD
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ndeed, Schiaparelli—“Schiap” to friends—stood out among her peers as a true nonconformist, using clothing as a medium to express her unique ideas. In the thirties, her peak creative period, her salon overflowed with the wild, the whimsical, and even the ridiculous. Many of her madcap designs could be pulled off only by a woman of great substance and style: Gold ruffles sprouted from the fingers of chameleon-green suede gloves; a pale-blue satin evening gown—modeled by Madame Crespi in Vogue—had a stiff overskirt of Rhodophane (a transparent, glasslike modern material); a smart black suit jacket had red lips for pockets. Handbags, in the form of music boxes, tinkled tunes like “Rose Marie, I Love You”; others fastened with padlocks. Monkey fur and zippers (newfangled in the thirties) were everywhere.“Madder and more original than most of her contemporaries, Mme Schiaparelli is the one to whom the word ‘genius’ is applied most often,” Time magazine wrote of its cover subject in 1934. Coco Chanel once dismissed her rival as “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” (To Schiaparelli, Chanel was simply “that milliner.”)
“Dare to be different,” is the advice she offered to women. Pace-setters and rule-breakers waved that flag through the sixties, the seventies, and beyond.
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WINDOWS INTO THE SURREAL FIDM’s 5th floor windows celebrate the surreal work of Elsa Schiaparelli By: Hamish Bowles Photography: Hamish Bowles
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selects 1
SKULL RING
Sleek, stylish and as strong and durable as your love, this handsome black ion-plated titanium wedding band for him features a bright polished finish accented with clever grooved detailing. This 7.0mm wide band is buffed to a brilliant luster, and can be personalized with the mes-
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LEATHER JACKET
Here we have a superb looking, large Spitalfields All Saints black Kushiro leather biker jacket in excellent unused condition. New season leathers embody the spirit of rebellionRecently received this jacket as a gift, however it is not the correct size so sadly I have to resell the item. Never been worn
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QUILTED PACK
This is the ultimate Clava leather backpack roomy enough for any trip or event. Great casual alternative to a briefcase. Main compartment boasts an extremely large packing area and features interior zipper pocket. Six exterior zipper pockets with interior organizers for additional storage. Shoulder straps are padded
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ALL SAINTS BOOT
Inspired by Damisi range, the Damisi High Top has a lace up front, double buckled ankle cuff and contrasting rubber outsole. Laying perfectly with our denim range, this style mixes a casual feel with one of our iconic designs. This style is slim fitting but true to size. Fabric: 100% Leather. Excellent
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BLACK FLAG
13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states,
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LA TO NY MUGS
Add some flair to your mug design with the Ringer Mug. Handle and lip of the mug are colored to match. 11 oz. or 15 oz. Available in 10 colors. Dishwasher and microwave safe. Imported.
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FEAR OF GOD BOMBER
A timeless, sporty staple gets a stylized makeover with this varsity jacket. Retaining classic details like striped ribbed trim, a zippered front, and slanted front pockets, this piece lends a laid-back touch to whatever it tops. Its elevating element? A supple, scuba knit construction. All at once casual and chic, this is one cover-up you can’t go wrong with.
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USA LONG TEE
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Black long sleeve tee with all over map print. Sleeves feature American, French, Japanese, and British Flags, as well as the Stampd Globe logo. Stampd label sewn at waist.Black long sleeve tee with all over map print. Sleeves feature American,
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SL JOGGER PANT
Black chino pant made with a 98/2 cotton elastic blend, featuring zippered front slash pockets, dropped inseam, and waxed drawstring with branded metal aglets. Elastic waistband
GRENADE CANDLES
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BALMAIN JEANS
Black sweatpants made with 100% cotton. Pants feature waxed drawstring with metal hardware, branded zippers on side and back pockets, and trapunto quilting at the knee. Black sweatpants made with 100% cotton. Pants feature
Black sweatpants made with 100% cotton. Pants feature waxed drawstring with metal hardware, branded zippers on side and back pockets, and trapunto quilting at the knee.Black sweatpants made with 100% cotton. Pants feature waxed drawstring with metal
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THE TRAGEDY IN FERGUSON A R T I C L E B Y PA U L S TA C E Y
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he shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, 28, a white police officer. The disputed circumstances of the shooting and the resultant protests and civil unrest received considerable attention in the United States and abroad. Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson were walking down the middle of the street when Wilson drove up and ordered them to move to the sidewalk. Brown and Wilson struggled through the window of the police vehicle until Wilson’s gun was fired, either intentionally or as a result of the struggle. Brown and Johnson then fled in different directions, with Wilson in pursuit of Brown. Wilson shot Brown six times, killing him. Witness reports differ as to whether and when Brown had his hands raised, and whether he was moving toward Wilson, when the final shots were fired. Some witnesses reported that Brown was shot several times in the back although all three autopsies showed that Brown was not shot in the back.
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The shooting sparked protests and unrest in Ferguson, in part due to the belief among many that Brown was surrendering, as well as longstanding racial tensions between the majority-black Ferguson community and the majority-white city government and police. Protests, both peaceful and violent, along with vandalism and looting, continued for more than a week, resulting in night curfews. The response of area police agencies in dealing with the protests received significant criticism from the media and politicians. There were concerns over insensitivity, tactics and a militarized response. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon ordered local police organizations to cede much of their authority to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Mainly peaceful protests continued for several weeks. Michael Brown, an 18-year-old male, died after being shot at least six times by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old Ferguson police officer.Brown reportedly was walking in the middle of the street when Officer Wilson stopped because he
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Let your voices be heard, and let everyone know that we have had enough of all of this.
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matched the description of a man from robbery around the corner. From there, a conflict between the two erupted at the vehicle, as Brown allegedly assaulted the officer through his window. The officer allegedly reached for his weapon inside his vehicle shooting Brown in the thumb then shooting when Brown charged the officer, ending with Brown’s death from multiple gunshot wounds. The exact circumstances and actions of Brown and Wilson are disputed. Brown was a suspect in an alleged strong-arm robbery committed minutes before the shooting; however they also stated the initial contact between Wilson and Brown was unrelated to the robbery and Wilson was unaware of the robbery when he approached Brown. Frustration, anger and grief in the community led to demonstrations and civil unrest in Ferguson. Protesters voiced concerns over the disputed circumstances of the shooting, the police investigation, and the identity of the officer. On the evening of the shooting, residents had created a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles in the spot where Brown died. An unidentified officer reportedly allowed the dog under his control to urinate on the memorial. Police vehicles later crushed the memorial. These incidents inflamed tensions among bystanders, according to Missouri state Rep. Sharon Pace, who told Mother Jones, “That made people in the crowd mad and it made me mad.”
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On August 10, a day of memorials began peacefully, but some crowd members became unruly after an evening candlelight vigil. Local police stations assembled approximately 150 officers in riot gear. Some people began looting businesses, vandalizing vehicles, and confronting police officers who sought to block off access to several areas of the city. At least 12 businesses were looted or vandalized and a QuikTrip convenience store and gas station was set on fire, leading to over 30 arrests. Many windows were broken and several nearby businesses closed on Monday. The people arrested face charges of assault, burglary, and theft. Police used a variety of equipment, including riot gear and helicopters, to disperse the crowd by 2:00 a.m. Two police officers suffered minor injuries during the events. On August 11, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd at the burnt shell of the QuikTrip convenience store, set on fire by looters the night before. According to reports, gunshots were fired in Ferguson and five people
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were arrested. Some protesters threw rocks at police officers. The police responded by firing tear gas and bean bag rounds upon those protesting, which included state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal. On August 12, several hundred protesters gathered in Clayton, the county seat, seeking criminal prosecution of the officer involved in the shooting. Protesters in Ferguson carried signs and many held their hands in the air while shouting “don’t shoot!� According to police, some protesters threw bottles at the officers, prompting the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd. The following day, a SWAT team of around 70 officers arrived at a protest demanding that protesters disperse. That night, police used smoke bombs, flash grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Video footage of the events recorded by KARG Argus Radio shows Ferguson Police firing tear gas into a residential neighborhood and ordering the journalist to cease recording. As night fell on August 13, protesters threw projectiles, including Molotov cocktails, and police
The Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and The Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilley were arrested.[37] Officers reportedly asked them to leave first, gave them a 45-second countdown when they were not moving fast enough, and ultimately resorted to more forceful measures to remove people from the McDonald’s. “Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of,” Lowery said. Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post, issued a statement, saying “there was absolutely no justification for Wesley Lowery’s arrest,” and that the police behavior “was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news”. Between August 12 and 13, police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at lines of protesters and reporters. August 18, protesters, some of whom were seen throwing bottles, charged toward a wall of police 60 wide and five djournalists Ansgar Graw and Frank Hermann reported being placed officer who would only identify himself as “Donald Duck”.
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As night fell on August 13, protesters threw projectiles, including Molotov cocktails, and police launched tear gas and smoke bombs.[36] While police were clearing a McDonald’s restaurant, The Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and The Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilley were arrested.[37] Officers reportedly asked them to leave first, gave them a 45-second countdown when they were not moving fast enough, and ultimately resorted to more forceful measures to remove people from the McDonald’s. “Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of,” Lowery said. Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post, issued a statement, saying “there was absolutely no justification for Wesley Lowery’s arrest,” and that the police behavior “was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news”. Al Jazeera America journalists including correspondent Ash-har Quraishi covering the protests in Ferguson on Wednesday night were also tear-gassed and shot at with rubber bullets by a police SWAT team. An officer was captured on video turning the reporters’ video camera toward the ground and dismantling their equipment. Al Jazeera America issued a statement, calling the incident an “egregious assault on the freedom of the press that was clearly intended to have a chilling effect on our ability to cover this important story”. On Thursday, August 14, the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team put out a press release stating that “... the SWAT Team has not been any part of attempting to prevent media coverage” and that the SWAT team had helped journalists move their equipment at their request. A raw video captured a vehicle marked clearly as “St. Charles County SWAT” rolling up to the Al Jazeera lights and camera and taking them down. As a result of looting and disruption the night before, on August 16, Nixon declared in a press conference a state of emergency and implemented nightly curfews in Ferguson from midnight to 5:00 a.m. Some residents at the press conference said that law enforcement officers had instigated the violence with their military-like tactics. Johnson said that police would not enforce the curfew with armored trucks and tear gas, and that police will communicate with protesters and give them time and opportunity to leave before curfew. In the early hours of August 17, tear gas and tactical units were used, despite prior assurances. One of the protesters was shot and critically wounded; police have claimed that they did not fire any shots. Seven other individuals were arrested. Later that morning, a Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman announced that the curfew would be extended for a second day. Brown’s family asked that supporters suspend their protests for one day out of respect for the funeral proceedings, planned for August 25. “All I want tomorrow is peace while we lay our son to rest. Please, that’s all I ask,” Brown’s father said.[90] The service was attended by thousands of people, including 2,500 filling the sanctuary, and others in an overflow auditorium which was also full. An estimated 2,000 additional people were on church property for the funeral. Eric Davis, one of Brown’s cousins, said at the funeral, “[s]how up at the voting booths. Let your voices be heard, and let everyone know that we have had enough of all of this.”
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RICHAR D A V E D O N
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hanksgiving of 2008, Kogi BBQ had first rolled out as the
and inaccessible, was immediately recognized by the public and the
little Korean-taco-truck-that-could, peddling $2.00 Korean
celebrities themselves. Many sought out Avedon for their most public
barbecue tacos on the streets of L.A. Little did they know that
images. His artistic style brought a sense of sophistication and authority to
within a few short months, they would become an icon of LA street food,
the portraits. More than anything, it is Avedon’s ability to set his subjects
a roving symbol of rebellion, independence and the belief that excellent
at ease that helps him create true, intimate, and lasting photographs.
food can be had on a dime budget. Kogi sets off a flavor bomb that would
Throughout his career Avedon has maintained a unique style all his own.
shake up the foundations of the industry so that street food would never
Famous for their minimalism, Avedon portraits are often well lit and in
be looked at the same way again. Their short rib taco which is contains two
front of white backdrops. When printed, the images regularly contain
crisply griddled homemade corn tortillas, double-caramelized Korean
the dark outline of the film in which the image was framed. Within the
barbecue, salsa roja, cilantro-onion-lime relish and a Napa Romaine
minimalism of his empty studio, Avedon’s subjects move freely, and it
slaw tossed in a chili-soy vinaigrette — so iconic to Kogi, would soon
is this movement which brings a sense of spontaneity to the images.
become anointed as an L.A. classic. Regular runs to Rowland Heights,
Often containing only a portion of the person being photographed, the
Diamond Bar, Granada Hills, Venice and El Segundo was a silent rallying
images seem intimate in their imperfection. While many photographers
cry for people to see beyond the bubble of Hollywood and downtown and
are interested in either catching a moment in time or preparing a formal
into the silent beat and rhythms that run the entire city of Los Angeles.
image, Avedon has found a way to do both.
Within a few short years of putting street food on the map of the minds
Beyond his work in the magazine industry, Avedon has collaborated on a
of the everyday diner, Kogi has become a kind of iconoclastic symbol
number of books of portraits. In 1959 he worked with Truman Capote on
wherein which legends are born and rules are made to be broken. This is
a book that documented some of the most famous and important people
where Kogi steps in and celebrates the difference, they took two different
of the century. Observations included images of Buster Keaton, Gloria
cultures and bravely combined them both to create something that would
Vanderbilt, Pablo Picasso, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Frank Lloyd
become an iconic food throughout the city of Los Angeles.
Wright, and Mae West. Around this same time he began a series of images
As Avedon’s notoriety grew, so did the opportunities to meet and
of patients in mental hospitals. Replacing the controlled environment of
photograph celebrities from a broad range of disciplines. Avedon’s ability
the studio with that of the hospital he was able to recreate the genius of his
to present personal views of public figures, who were otherwise distant
other portraits with non-celebrities. The brutal reality of the lives of the
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Throughout the 1960s Avedon continued to work for Harper’s Bazaar and in 1974 he collaborated with James Baldwin on the book Nothing Personal. Having met in New York in 1943, Baldwin and Avedon were friends and collaborators for more than thirty years. For all of the 1970s and 1980s Avedon continued working for Vogue magazine, where he would take some of the most famous portraits of the decades. In 1992 he became the first staff photographer for The New Yorker, and two years later the Whitney Museum brought together fifty years of his work in the retrospective, “Richard Avedon: Evidence”. He was voted one of the ten greatest photographers in the world by Popular Photography magazine, and in 1989 received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London. Today, his pictures continue to bring us a closer, more intimate view of the great and the famous. Beyond his work in the magazine industry, Avedon has collaborated on a number of books of portraits. In 1959 he worked with Truman Capote on a book that documented some of the most famous and important people of the century. Observations included images of Buster Keaton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Pablo Picasso, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mae West. Around this same time he began a series of images of patients in mental hospitals. Replacing the controlled environment of the studio with that of the hospital he was able to recreate the genius of his other portraits with noncelebrities. The brutal reality of the lives of the Beyond his work in the magazine industry, Avedon has collaborated on a number of books of portraits. In 1959 he worked with Truman Capote on a book.
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