Celebrating 40 years of Richard Avedon’s In the American West, the Carter is presenting 40 works from the series accompanied by behind-the-scenes archival material of Avedon’s acclaimed portraits. Commissioned in 1979 by the Carter, Avedon spent six years traveling to 189 towns across 17 states documenting his view of the American West through a series of portraits of people he encountered along the way. First presented at the Museum in 1985, the large portraits have remained a cornerstone in the Carter’s renowned photography collection and are some of the most important and influential portraits of the 20th century. Richard Avedon at the Carter, presented four decades after the original exhibition, will also include archival photographs captured by artist Laura Wilson, who accompanied Avedon on his travels, as well as rarely seen archival photos and memorabilia of the 1985 installation and opening events, all of which allow visitors a deeper look into the creation of these striking artworks.