Exhibition features a selection of Peter Hujar`s black-and-white portraits acquired by Richard Avedon in the 1970s
(Artdaily.org)

For the public opening of 540 West 25th Street, Pace and Pace/ MacGill are presenting Peter Hujar: Master Class. Featuring a selection of Hujar’s black-and-white portraits acquired by Richard Avedon in the 1970s, the exhibition examines the photographer’s idiomatic approach to portraiture that treated each photograph as a stand-alone object, capable of evoking complex emotions and expressions. The influence of Avedon’s acclaimed Master Class, a weekly seminar taught by Avedon and art director Marvin Israel at Avedon’s New York City studio and in which Hujar was enrolled in 1967, is also being examined through scholarly research. The Master Class included visiting speakers such as Diane Arbus and Lucas Samaras, and opened doors for a number of young photographers. Avedon and Hujar remained friends following the workshop’s close and, over time, Avedon acquired