'My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous. That's why Ron Gallela is my favourite photographer."'
- Andy Warhol


Ron Galella has played an instrumental role in the development of the turbulent and many say abusive relationship between celebrity and the press we are well acquainted with today. Believe it or not, there was a time before paparazzi and the unyielding harassment that is an accepted part of life as a public figure. He has been called "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and his photographs have been printed in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to name but a few.

Galella is a controversial figure, mostly due to the fractious and obsessive nature of his relationship with one of his favourite and most un-willing subjects Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Galella’s pursuit of the former First Lady led to the infamous free-speech trial resulting in a restraining order. The photographer’s dedication to getting the photograph landed him in court a second time when he won a lawsuit for $40,000 against Hollywood bad boy Marlon Brando, who punched Galella in the face breaking his jaw and knocking out five of his teeth.

The infamy of Galella, and his own notoriety (he refers to himself as a celebrity paparazzo) raises many questions. The quick, point and shoot method necessary when capturing speedily escaping stars doesn’t require the technical proficiency mastered by Galella’s contemporaries, like Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. This begs the question; what makes a photograph, the technique or the subject matter? Whatever your opinion, this photographer was prolific in capturing stars such as John Lennon, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Truman Capote in real and human moments, often hanging out at the legendary nightclub Studio 54, proving endless and nostalgic stargazing. 






'My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous. That's why Ron Gallela is my favourite photographer."'
- Andy Warhol


Ron Galella has played an instrumental role in the development of the turbulent and many say abusive relationship between celebrity and the press we are well acquainted with today. Believe it or not, there was a time before paparazzi and the unyielding harassment that is an accepted part of life as a public figure. He has been called "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and his photographs have been printed in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to name but a few.

Galella is a controversial figure, mostly due to the fractious and obsessive nature of his relationship with one of his favourite and most un-willing subjects Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Galella’s pursuit of the former First Lady led to the infamous free-speech trial resulting in a restraining order. The photographer’s dedication to getting the photograph landed him in court a second time when he won a lawsuit for $40,000 against Hollywood bad boy Marlon Brando, who punched Galella in the face breaking his jaw and knocking out five of his teeth.

The infamy of Galella, and his own notoriety (he refers to himself as a celebrity paparazzo) raises many questions. The quick, point and shoot method necessary when capturing speedily escaping stars doesn’t require the technical proficiency mastered by Galella’s contemporaries, like Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. This begs the question; what makes a photograph, the technique or the subject matter? Whatever your opinion, this photographer was prolific in capturing stars such as John Lennon, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Truman Capote in real and human moments, often hanging out at the legendary nightclub Studio 54, proving endless and nostalgic stargazing. 





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