Monday, June 16, 2014

The Human Face And Its Landscape

The landscape of a face, with all its crevices, peaks, valleys, and expressions, reflects the journey of the soul.

To me, there is nothing more fascinating and attractive than the human face. And when I say, attractive, I don’t mean "attractive" as in what the media tells us is attractive. I’m referring to individual attractiveness.

I'm not really drawn to a perfectly structured or typically beautiful/handsome face. I’ve always been more attracted to what many people may see as an off-kilter face.

Whether it is a man or woman, I like a face with a lot of character. I’m attracted to things, like a crooked nose, a scar beneath an eye or above a lip, and yes, I even like the lines and wrinkles that aging brings.

I guess you could say that I’m attracted to faces that have a unique terrain and landscape; a landscape that looks as though it's been traveled and has a history.

I also think because of my background in acting, I notice the face and how it conveys emotion. A face to an actor is like a moving canvas on which he/she expresses the feelings of the character.

And Richard Avedon (1923-2004), American photographer, had a gift for capturing the human face and its landscape, both physically and emotionally.

Best known for his work in the fashion industry, Avedon was also highly recognized for his portraits because he was what you would almost call a face reader. He was famous for the intimate celebrity portrait, capturing something from a sitting that hadn’t been seen before from the subject. He knew how to capture the humanness in a celebrity subject. And his portraits never looked posed, but rather a natural moment caught with the camera.

Some of Avedons' portraits are quiet, while others are active. Yet, to me, even the quiet ones are active because you can see something going on within the quietness.

Please enjoy these Richard Avedon portraits of the human face and its landscape...