Philip Gefter Knihy

The album showcases a collection of striking photographic portraits captured over George Dureau's four-decade career, highlighting the intimate connection between the photographer and his New Orleans subjects. Each image reflects a unique romance, revealing the depth of emotion and artistry that defines Dureau's work, making it a compelling exploration of identity and personal expression within the vibrant cultural backdrop of New Orleans.

Set during a single, tumultuous night, the play delves into the complexities of a middle-aged couple's marriage, revealing the lies and sacrifices that have defined their relationship. It contrasts a fictional couple with a real one, challenging societal myths surrounding love, sex, and family dynamics. Through intense dialogue and emotional revelations, it examines the enduring nature of love despite the challenges faced over the years.

'Terrific! With a dynamically deft touch, Philip Gefter chronicles how a uniquely volatile mix of timing, talent, pressure, and passion turned a landscape-altering play into a cinematic detonation. Savor this juicy bit of time travel, because we'll never see the likes of these people and these... číst celé

Here is the long-awaited story of Sam Wagstaff and his indelible influence on the world of late-twentieth-century art.

Focusing on Sam Wagstaff's transformative journey, the narrative explores his evolution from a 1940s society bachelor to a pioneering curator in the art world. His significant encounter with the young photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1972 not only shaped his legacy as a prominent collector but also positioned him as a key figure in American cultural discourse. Philip Gefter highlights Wagstaff's role as a lover and patron, emphasizing his influence on photography and the arts.

The first definitive biography of Richard Avedon, a monumental photographer of the twentieth century, from award-winning photography critic Philip Gefter. In his acclaimed portraits, Richard Avedon captured the iconic figures of the twentieth century in his starkly bold, intimately minimal, and forensic visual style. Concurrently, his work for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue transformed the ideals of women's fashion, femininity, and culture to become the defining look of an era. Yet despite his driving ambition to gain respect in the art world, during his lifetime he was condescendingly dismissed as a "celebrity photographer." What Becomes a Legend Most is the first definitive biography of this luminary--an intensely driven man who endured personal and professional prejudice, struggled with deep insecurities, and mounted an existential lifelong battle to be recognized as an artist. Philip Gefter builds on archival research and exclusive interviews with those closest to Avedon to chronicle his story, beginning with Avedon's coming-of-age in New York between the world wars, when cultural prejudices forced him to make decisions that shaped the course of his life. Compounding his private battles, Avedon fought to be taken seriously in a medium that itself struggled to be respected within the art world. Gefter reveals how the 1950s and 1960s informed Avedon's life and work as much as he informed the period. He counted as close friends a profoundly influential group of artists--Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Harold Brodkey, Renata Adler, Sidney Lumet, and Mike Nichols--who shaped the cultural life of the American twentieth century. It wasn't until Avedon's fashion work was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the late 1970s that he became a household name. Balancing glamour with the gravitas of an artist's genuine reach for worldy achievement--and not a little gossip--plus sixteen pages of photographs, What Becomes a Legend Most is an intimate window into Avedon's fascinating world. Dramatic, visionary, and remarkable, it pays tribute to Avedon's role in the history of photography and fashion--and his legacy as one of the most consequential artists of his time.