Explore Paris Photo L.A., Art Fair to the Stars - Slideshow - Vulture

May 4, 2015 4:28 pm

Explore Paris Photo L.A., Art Fair to the Stars

By Ann Binlot

Paris Photo L.A. takes place on a stage-set version of Manhattan on the Paramount Pictures backlot. It draws thousands of people to peruse 79 galleries showing some of the world’s best photography, but it’s also got something else: movie stars! It’s not so often you see Gwyneth Paltrow bouncing from booth to booth at an art fair, but hey, there she was.

And what better way to sum up a fair about photography than with a slideshow. Check out some of the highlights from Paris Photo L.A.

BMW, one of the fair’s sponsors, set up a booth featuring the work of French duo Elise Mazac and Robert Drowilal, better known as Mazaccio & Drowilal, at the entrance of Stage 14. This installation, titled Don’t Be Evil, is a dark send-up of Silicon Valley, complete with emoji captions and a hamster cage that represent the work culture at Google. “It was full of fun at work, but at the same time, he had no life outside the box,” Drowilal said about a friend who worked at the tech giant.

BMW, one of the fair’s sponsors, set up a booth featuring the work of French duo Elise Mazac and Robert Drowilal, better known as Mazaccio & Drowilal, at the entrance of Stage 14. This installation, titled Don’t Be Evil, is a dark send-up of Silicon Valley, complete with emoji captions and a hamster cage that represent the work culture at Google. “It was full of fun at work, but at the same time, he had no life outside the box,” Drowilal said about a friend who worked at the tech giant.

Drew Barrymore and her art-adviser husband Will Kopelman, who had their kids in tow, get schooled on the works at a booth that was showing works brought by In the Gallery, a very confusingly named gallery based in Copenhagen.

Drew Barrymore and her art-adviser husband Will Kopelman, who had their kids in tow, get schooled on the works at a booth that was showing works brought by In the Gallery, a very confusingly named gallery based in Copenhagen.

Elise Mazac and Robert Drowilal, the artist duo Mazaccio & Drowilal.

Elise Mazac and Robert Drowilal, the artist duo Mazaccio & Drowilal.

We found actress Jamie Lee Curtis inside the California Unedited! space. “You take photos with iPhones?” she asked. Look, Jamie, it’s a photo fair, and this is the best we've got! “Let’s go take one next to my twin,” she said. Her “twin” was the subject of this portrait by 19th-century photographer R.J. Arnold.

We found actress Jamie Lee Curtis inside the California Unedited! space. “You take photos with iPhones?” she asked. Look, Jamie, it’s a photo fair, and this is the best we've got! “Let’s go take one next to my twin,” she said. Her “twin” was the subject of this portrait by 19th-century photographer R.J. Arnold.

Over at Garis & Hahn’s booth was a series of works by the New York–based French artist Julien Levy. “He’s lived in multiple cities around the world, and he’s really trying to capture the loneliness and isolation one can feel in these populated urban sprawls and environments,” said gallerist Sophie Hahn.

Over at Garis & Hahn’s booth was a series of works by the New York–based French artist Julien Levy. “He’s lived in multiple cities around the world, and he’s really trying to capture the loneliness and isolation one can feel in these populated urban sprawls and environments,” said gallerist Sophie Hahn.

The VIP Lounge — which was set in front of a wall covered with some spectacularly cheesy fake graffiti — was pretty empty when the fair first opened. That would change later on into the night. People just could not get enough of the fake graffiti in the VIP lounge.

The VIP Lounge — which was set in front of a wall covered with some spectacularly cheesy fake graffiti — was pretty empty when the fair first opened. That would change later on into the night. People just could not get enough of the fake graffiti in the VIP lounge.

Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve presented a solo show by the artist and fashion photographer Juergen Teller. You've seen his work in Marc Jacobs ads — just not ones involving Miley Cyrus. This photograph shows Teller’s New York gallerist, David Maupin, with his partner, W editor Stefano Tonchi, and their twins.

Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve presented a solo show by the artist and fashion photographer Juergen Teller. You've seen his work in Marc Jacobs ads — just not ones involving Miley Cyrus. This photograph shows Teller’s New York gallerist, David Maupin, with his partner, W editor Stefano Tonchi, and their twins.

Etherton Gallery presented a new series of nudes by Ralph Gibson. This photograph was probably the only one that was not extremely NSFW, and this is a family art site, so this is what we can give you.

Etherton Gallery presented a new series of nudes by Ralph Gibson. This photograph was probably the only one that was not extremely NSFW, and this is a family art site, so this is what we can give you.

The requisite California surf photographs were sprinkled throughout the fair, like this one at M+B Art’s booth.

The requisite California surf photographs were sprinkled throughout the fair, like this one at M+B Art’s booth.

Ren Hang’s artful nudes hung at Capricious 88. The one on the left would set you back $3,200.

Ren Hang’s artful nudes hung at Capricious 88. The one on the left would set you back $3,200.

These creepy ventriloquist-dummy portraits by Matthew Rolston were selling at Diane Rosenstein’s booth for $7,000.

These creepy ventriloquist-dummy portraits by Matthew Rolston were selling at Diane Rosenstein’s booth for $7,000.

“They continuously have the best booth,” said Frieze editor Jonathan Griffith at Paule Anglim Gallery’s booth, which showed artists John Beech and Bruce Conner.

“They continuously have the best booth,” said Frieze editor Jonathan Griffith at Paule Anglim Gallery’s booth, which showed artists John Beech and Bruce Conner.

Louise Alexander presented a number of never-before-seen Polaroids by the legendary fashion photographer Guy Bourdin.

Louise Alexander presented a number of never-before-seen Polaroids by the legendary fashion photographer Guy Bourdin.

Jim Steffens’s Kodachrome slides had been sitting in his closet until a few years ago, when his daughter started scanning and posting the ’60s and ’70s counterculture photos on an Instagram account she named @thefamilyacid. Since then, the images have appeared in The New Yorker, Time, and the New York Times. “This is 40 years ago,” said Steffens of this particular picture. “This is the day I met my wife at the Albion People’s Fair in Mendocino on an acid trip in a pygmy forest under a total eclipse of the moon. And we’ve been together since that day.”

Jim Steffens’s Kodachrome slides had been sitting in his closet until a few years ago, when his daughter started scanning and posting the ’60s and ’70s counterculture photos on an Instagram account she named @thefamilyacid. Since then, the images have appeared in The New Yorker, Time, and the New York Times. “This is 40 years ago,” said Steffens of this particular picture. “This is the day I met my wife at the Albion People’s Fair in Mendocino on an acid trip in a pygmy forest under a total eclipse of the moon. And we’ve been together since that day.”

We went on to the next one. “Drew Barrymore was in here yesterday, and that’s my table in Berkeley in 1973,” said Steffens. “Drew Barrymore looks at it and says, ‘Looks like my childhood.’” Drew Barrymore had quite the preteen lifestyle, if you recall.

We went on to the next one. “Drew Barrymore was in here yesterday, and that’s my table in Berkeley in 1973,” said Steffens. “Drew Barrymore looks at it and says, ‘Looks like my childhood.’” Drew Barrymore had quite the preteen lifestyle, if you recall.

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