The powerHouse Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of
Ron Galella: The Kennedys
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Press Preview: 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Reception: 6:00–8:00 p.m.
The powerHouse Gallery
68 Charlton Street, New York
two block south of Houston Street,
between Varick and Hudson Streets
RSVP: Isabel Babcock, Tel: 212-604-9074 x102
isabel@powerHouseBooks.com
Exhibition continues through January 7, 2006
Preview the exhibition.
To browse images available for press use, click here.
Widely acknowledged as the most controversial celebrity photographer in the
United States, Ron Galella has been lauded as “the godfather of American
paparazzi culture” by Time, and “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” by Newsweek. The
title of paparazzo is much barraged, but in the case of Galella, it's a
badge of honor. Notoriously determined, willing to do anything to get the
perfect shot, Galella’s photographs created icons, redefined glamour, and
launched the age of modern celebrity.
Ranking the Kennedys as his favorite subjects, Galella documented,
exhaustively, the life of America’s first and favorite lady and those of her
children. Ron Galella: The Kennedys features 120 black-and-white and color
photographs showcasing highlights from the Galella’s extensive archive of
America’s first family.
The exhibition is planned in conjunction with the release of John F. Kennedy
Jr.: A Life in Pictures, which will be released in December 2005, as well as
the Jackie: A Life in Pictures, which was published in 2004. Both books—to
which Galella was a tremendous contributor—are the premier visual
biographies of two of the most celebrated members of the Kennedy clan.
Following Jackie for over fifteen years, Galella instinctively understood
the image that she embodied: the glamorous celebrity, devoted mother,
hardworking editor, philanthropist, media darling. His images of John Jr.
and Caroline helped launch and sustain their careers as celebrities in their
own right.
The relationship between Galella and the Kennedys, however, was often
bittersweet. He was sued by Jackie numerous times for harassment and, after
allegedly breaking an injunction that required he remain 25 feet from her at
all times, was forced to surrender his right to photograph the family. Their
relationship resumed only after Jackie’s death, when John Jr. invited
Galella back into the fold. Picking up from where he left off, Galella
photographed the life of John F. Kennedy Jr. from the launch of George
magazine through his last days with wife Carolyn Bessette.
Unafraid to get close, Galella's photographs of this epic family are the
most memorable ever taken.
A native New Yorker, Ron Galella earned a degree in photojournalism from the
Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. He began his career as a
freelance magazine and newspaper photographer in 1955, and has since been
sued by Jacqueline Onassis, punched by Marlon Brando, and hosed down by
friends of Brigitte Bardot. Galella’s previous books include Jacqueline
(Sheed & Ward, 1974), Off Guard: A Paparazzi Look at the Beautiful People
(McGraw-Hill, 1976), The Photographs of Ron Galella 1965–1989 (Greybull
Press, 2001), and Ron Galella: Exclusive Diary (Photology, 2004). His most
recent shows were held at The Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; the Paul Kasmin
Gallery, New York; the Holt Renfrew FLICK Exhibition, Toronto; Photology,
Milan and Bologna; the Ferragamo Gallery, New York; and his latest,
Superstar, at Kunstforum Wien, Vienna.
High-res scans to your specification are available upon request; scanning
from the book is strictly prohibited. Mandatory credit line: from RON
GALELLA: THE KENNEDYS, Courtesy of The powerHouse Gallery.
For more information, please contact Sara Rosen, Publicity Director
powerHouse Books, 68 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
Tel: 212-604-9074 x105, Fax: 212-366-5247, email: sara@powerHouseBooks.com
