Curated by Martin Parr
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
Andy Warhol, 1968
An exploration of our burgeoning celebrity culture and its increasingly blurred boundaries. The exhibition takes its title from Australian star-hunter Richard Simpkin’s extraordinary project Richard & Famous. Since 1989 Simpkin has pursued celebrities to have his photo taken with them, charting the fashions and faces of a multitude of stars from Audrey Hepburn to Muhammad Ali, Kylie Minogue to Nelson Mandela. The show is also a fascinating self-portrait, documenting Simpkin’s own journey from teenager to thirty-something, his smile never fading.
For her project The Once and Future Queens LA-based photographer Simone Lueck posted online adverts inviting older women to pose in the guise of their favourite movie star. Sometimes playful – sometimes tinged with sadness – the pictures offer a reflection on self-image, gender, fantasy and mortality.
