RON GALLELA "The Paparazzo"

About Ron Galella:

Much has been written about Ron Galella. Widely considered the world's most famous and controversial celebrity photographer - he has been dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek and "the godfather of American paparazzi culture" by Time and Vanity Fair - Galella is clearly willing to take great risks to get the perfect shot. As a result, Ron suffered two high-profile court battles with Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, a broken jaw at the hands of Marlon Brando, and a severe beating by Richard Burton's bodyguards before being imprisoned in Cuernavaca, Mexico. But ultimately, it is his passion for the fine arts of photography, coupled with a dedicated DIY approach to his craft - few artists can claim his level of skill in making their own prints - that sees Ron's body of work exhibited at museums and galleries around the world. The Museum of Modern Art in New York and San Francisco, the Tate Modern in London, and the Helmut Newton Foundation Photography Museum in Berlin, among others, all maintain collections of Galella's iconic works. Ron's passion for photojournalism has also spawned many highly acclaimed photo art books, including Disco Years (PowerHouse Books), which was voted the best photography book of 2006 by the New York Times. Recently, Galella made the transition to emotional cinema with Smash His Camera, a documentary about his life and career from Oscar-winning director Leon Gast (When We Were Kings, 1996). Premiering at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Smash His Camera received the Grand Jury Award for Directing in the American Documentary category. The film was also well received at the 54th BFI London Film Festival before being broadcast on the BBC throughout the UK and Europe. Both for its recognition at home and in Northern Europe, the Basilicata Government has kindly honored Ron – whose father, Vincenzo, was born in Muro Lucano – by making him an honorary citizen of the Italian region in 2009. Basilicata simultaneously opened Ron Galella: Italian Icons, a traveling exhibition of more than 70 photos by Ron, at the Carlo Levi Hall of the Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera, and in Parallel to the opening, Ron launched Viva l'Italia! - a collection of over 225 images of Italian and Italian-American celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Sophia Loren. Born in New York and now residing in Montville, New Jersey, Ron served as a United States Air Force photographer during the Korean conflict before attending the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he graduated a degree in photo journalism.