If you are in DC this weekend, you have to go see Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power at the Corcoran before it closes this Sunday, the 25. It’s well worth the two-for-one $14 admission fee.
The exhibit is organized chronologically and excludes the nearly surreal Avedon portraits I’m familiar with. Instead, focusing on artists, activists, and politicians, the exhibit shows portraits of people “battered by engagement with the world.”
The portrait of Barack Obama, however, does not look battered at all (Has the man ever looked battered? He’s never looked better).
Richard Avedon had a knack for photographing future presidents; 'Portraits of Power' shows Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Obama, all with such prestigious titles as "Director of the CIA" and "Former Governor of California.
And at the end, you get to take your own portrait. The Corcoran’s “Portrait Project” has set up a photo booth, complete with black-and-white, crisp digital filters that are incredibly flattering. Which is nice, because after your picture is taken, it’s projected in the museum on a six-by-eight foot screen. You can also email the pictures to your account to save forever.