Paparazzi pics 'can be art'
2008-02-18 22:10
Los Angeles - Paparazzi are getting
a lot of bad press these days, so it takes some chutzpah to
launch a photography exhibit called "Paparazzi as an Art Form"
in the heart of celebrityville.
Billed as one of the first shows of its kind, the Los
Angeles-based paparazzi agency Buzz Foto on Friday began a
week-long exhibit of glossy pictures of Paris Hilton, Lindsay
Lohan, Britney Spears and other stars that they believe could
one day grace the walls of major museums and art galleries.
Buzz Foto hopes its 26 shots will show that paparazzi
photography, despite its reputation for intrusiveness and bad
manners, can be a form of art.
"Our photographs have the potential to hang next to those
great masters. Executed properly, images of today's celebrities
can exude an incredible amount of style and elegance that
portray our ever-changing and exciting pop culture," said Buzz
Foto co-founder Brad Elterman, a 30-year industry veteran.
"No-one has thought about being proud of paparazzi. People
think we are just one step above being child molesters. But we
are not tacky people," Elterman told Reuters.
On the walls of the Maryam Seyhoun Gallery on Melrose
Avenue - a stone's throw from the famed celebrity and
paparazzi hangouts of The Ivy restaurant - a startled Diana
Ross is captured, without make-up, pushing a shopping cart in
her local supermarket.
Fallen pop star
Socialite Paris Hilton is snapped wearing a leopard print
swimsuit and high heels, clutching a tiny dog in one hand and
placing a neon pink surfboard into a luxury car.
A single image of Britney Spears, shot in the summer of
2007, shows the fallen pop star wearing a pink wig, sitting in
a car, and staring blankly straight at the camera lens.
The 24-hour paparazzi pursuit of Spears during her
highly-publicised meltdown for what is thought to be a bipolar
disorder has brought controversy and condemnation.
Several paparazzi trailing Spears night and day have been
arrested for reckless driving and she has been followed by
photographers into churches and bathrooms, prompting one Los
Angeles councilman to propose a "personal safety zone" law to
protect celebrities from intrusive photographers.
'Too dangerous'
Buzz Foto says it does not assign photographers to trail
the troubled pop star because working with the "pack", with its
crushes and high-speed chases, is too dangerous and the market
for wacky Spears pictures is saturated.
But Elterman and business partner Henry Flores say there is
no longer a market in posed pictures of celebrities.
"The red carpet is dead. Magazine editors want to see these
people in real-life situations," Elterman said.
They are not alone, it seems. Several celebrities have
accepted invitations to Friday's opening reception where the
photos are expected to be snapped up for around $2 000 each.