Audio By Carbonatix
By the time you read this, the wellspring of Charlie Sheen and Rebecca Black jokes will have just about dried up. Such is the nature of the American pop-cultural machine, where the exploits of human train wrecks generate an instantaneous maelstrom of material for talk show hosts and dozens of auto-tuned music video remixes on YouTube, before everyone moves on to fresher celebrity fodder.
America’s fascination with blockbuster celebrities’ bad behavior, and the paparazzi culture that surrounds them, is at the heart of local photog Peter Bugg’s work. Bugg spent years as interning at an L.A. paparazzi agency. His unique repertoire includes such installations as Target Audience, which put Justin Beiber and other celebs in Che Guevara’s iconic place.
Bugg’s latest showcase, Sweet & Low, continues this theme and also gives new meaning to the term “glitterati,” as it features a series of tabloid covers and spreads dipped in a saturated sugar solution, resulting in a crystal-like patina. It’s sparkly and sweet, and even worse for consumption than the source material.
Wed., April 20, 12-7 p.m., 2011
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.