vip in the city

Disco Years exhibition

Hit DUMBO with CS tonight for the reception and booksigning for photographer Ron Galella’s new book Disco Years, a visual diary of the Studio 54-era New York City club scene.

Galella is known as one of the most controversial celebrity photographers in the United States – earning him the dubious title of “the godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture” by Time and “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” by Newsweek. In his heyday, Galella was norotious for his aggressive tenacity in catching celebrities at their most unguarded and candid. Marlon Brando broke his jaw; Sean Penn spat on him; Richard Burton’s bodyguards put him in the hospital after catching him hiding in the bushes while trying to photograph Burton with Elizabeth Taylor; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (one of Galella’s all-time favorite subjects) sued and got a restraining order against him. His photographs created icons, redefined the genre of celebrity photography and have been the subject of several books and exhibitions.

The exhibition’s opening night party was hosted by powerHouse Books and *surface. The space was set up with dozens of Galella’s iconic photographs.

Drinks by Boz Spirits’ 267 Infusions and Suntory Zen. The olive and pearl onion vodka (right) was fine, though perhaps a bit too olive-y. Pretty bottles, but I’m not sure why one would opt for this instead of an actual dirty martini. CS declared her green tea liqueur and tonic on crushed ice as tasty as a green tea slushy.

Most of the photos on display were from the gaudy, glittery Studio 54 era. From Andy Warhol to Mick Jagger to Cher to Grace Jones to Ali MacGraw’s original celebrity nip-slip (note: may be NSFW — duh)…

Galella himself was there that night, but no celebrities, unless you count host Randy Jones (a.k.a. The Cowboy) from the Village People, whom CS and I had a hard time trying to pick out from the crowd without his signature hat.

Afterwards, we hopped the F back to Manhattan to meet SC and JG for some neighborly wine and shopping. The four of us ended the evening with dinner at a nearby Italian (not Japanese) restaurant.