VOA标准英语2012--Annie Leibovitz Takes New Path in 'Pilgrimage'

Annie Leibovitz Takes New Path in 'Pilgrimage'

There are homes and personal items that belonged to people who are no longer with us, including artists, scientists, photographers, and a U.S. president.
Leibovitz says she went on a journey from 2009 to 2011, taking photos of places that moved her, including landscapes. She says the collection represents a renewal¹ of her spirit. Earlier, her lover, Susan Sontag, a famous author, died of cancer. And Leibovitz had financial troubles and almost lost control of her photo archives.
"There's some searching going on," said Leibovitz. "I discovered some things about myself which were really comforting."
Leibovitz was inspired by the 20th century American artist Georgia O'Keefe and traveled to New Mexico to photograph her homes and a box of handmade pastels.
She also captured images of items that belonged to President Abraham Lincoln, including the hat and gloves he was carrying in 1865 when he was assassinated².
"What she's really trying to do is evoke³ the presence of people, in a way, despite their absence," said Andy Grundberg who curated the exhibit.
Leibovitz has been a photographer for 40 years and is known for her shots of celebrities⁴.
She told reporters she hadn't planned to focus on people from the past, but felt drawn⁵ to them.
"What really drew me to them, I think that they stand out. I thrive on history. I love it," added Leibovitz.
Leibovitz was fascinated by sharpshooter Annie Oakley, a star in Buffalo⁶ Bill's Wild West Show in the late 1800s. She photographed Oakley's boots and one of her shooting targets.
Leibovitz also found inspiration at Graceland, the mansion⁷ of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, where she took a picture of his motorcycle.
Grundberg says the exhibit is "a portrait of Leibovitz."
"This is a way of understanding how Annie Leibovitz thinks about the world through the pictures that she's taken of people and places that are important to her," noted⁸ Grundberg.
To honor landscape photographer Ansel Adams, Leibovitz took a picture of his darkroom. Adams, who died in 1984, was devoted⁹ to photographing the wilderness¹⁰ in the American west. He was also a leader of the conservation movement.
Leibovitz did photos similar to Adams' famous pictures of Yosemite Valley in California.
"The best homage¹¹ you can make was photographing that valley that he saved," Leibovitz said.
The photos in the exhibit are also included in a book that Leibovitz hopes will inspire people. She says she'll continue doing portraits, but also wants to take other kinds of photos.

1 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

2 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

3 evoke   

vt.唤起，引起，使人想起

参考例句：

• These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
• Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。

4 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

7 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

10 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

11 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。