Oct. 2, 2004 A word about Dick Avedon, who died yesterday. At it's best, photography presumes to relay a design to very personal worlds. The great photographers, and Avedon was the greatest photographer of the past half-century, succeed in connecting inner and outer realms in profound and vivid ways. If Avedon mainly photographed commanding and charismatic people, those comfortable with power and display, he kept them all at a fascinated distance. His deep curiosity was coupled intimately with an abiding respect and a subtle inventive air. His photographs of the anonymous souls who also caught his eye convey an astonishing regard for the overwhelming - and sometimes overwhelmed - sources of human dignity. Avedon seized a camera just as our culture began to celebrate individuals, often to absurd degrees. For an amazing length of time he guided that interest, focusing our attention on a universe of faces, the true maps of our times. No one will ever equal either the breadth of his vision or the tide of his accomplishments. today's picture

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