There was no such person as Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was an invention of hers. A genius invention that she created, like an author creates a character. She understood photography, and she also understood what makes a great photograph. She related to it as if she were giving a performance. She gave more to the still camera than any actress-any woman- I've ever photographed.
Interpretation
Marilyn Monroe was a constructed persona, showcasing the art of self-creation and performance in photography.
This quote highlights the idea that Marilyn Monroe was not just a person but a carefully crafted character created by the actress herself. Richard Avedon emphasizes her genius in manipulating her image and understanding the art of photography, suggesting that her persona transcended mere reality to become an artistic performance.
In practice
In a speech about the role of women in film, one might highlight Marilyn Monroe's transformation of her image as a powerful example of self-invention.
There's always been a separation between fashion and what I call my 'deeper' work. Fashion is where I make my living. I'm not knocking it. It's a pleasure to make a living that way. It's pleasure and then there's the deeper pleasure of doing my portraits. It's not important what I consider myself to be, but I consider myself to be a portrait photographer.
I am, and forever will be, devastated by the gift of Audrey Hepburn before my camera. I cannot lift her to greater heights. She is already there. I can only record. I cannot interpret her. There is no going further than who she is. She has achieved in herself her ultimate portrait.
I never wanted to be called an artist. I wanted to be called a photographer.
Photography has always reminded me of the second child.. trying to prove itself. The fact that it wasn't really considered an art.. that it was considered a craft.. has trapped almost every serious photographer.
My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.
When you pose for a photograph, it's behind a smile that isn't yours. You are angry and hungry and alive. What I value in you is that intensity. I want to make portraits as intense as people.
In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt.
A sad tale's best for winter. I have one of sprites and goblins.
The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.
A critic should be taught to criticise a work of art without making any reference to the personality of the author.
Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.
To be honest, the biggest reason I write music and became a musician was to create the amount of joy that I felt about music to anyone else. To me, that's a job well done.
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