RON GALELLA

“Paparazzo Extraordinaire” - Newsweek

Ron Galella (1931–2022) was a pioneering American photographer whose candid celebrity and paparazzi images defined an era of pop culture. Dubbed the “Godfather of U.S. paparazzi” by Time and Vanity Fair and hailed as a “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” by Newsweek, Galella’s nearly six-decade career captured Hollywood, music, fashion, politics, and sports in an intimate, off-guard style that remains unmatched.

This exhibition at The MF Gallery presents a selection of rarely seen photographs from New York in the 1980s and 1990s, offering a closer look at Galella’s work beyond his most widely published images. These images highlight his ability to create intimacy with subjects while maintaining spontaneity and authenticity, hallmarks of his celebrated approach.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Galella served as a U.S. Air Force photographer during the Korean War before earning a degree in Photojournalism from the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles.

Over his career, he photographed generations of celebrities—from the classic stars of old Hollywood, including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, and Frank Sinatra, to the icons of the 1960s and ’70s like Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and Jack Nicholson, to contemporary figures including Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift. His images, such as Windblown Jackie and his iconic Lennon–Jagger photograph, exemplify his commitment to capturing unrehearsed, spontaneous moments, a philosophy he considered the “perfect Galella photograph.”

Galella’s work has been collected by major institutions worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London, and the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin. His signed, fine-art prints remain highly sought after by collectors and are regularly published, exhibited, and broadcast globally.

Beyond photography, Galella established Ron Galella Ltd., a photo agency that trained and inspired generations of photographers. He was also the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary Smash His Camera (2010), which chronicles his trailblazing career and enduring influence on entertainment photojournalism.

At the core of Galella’s work was a passion for photography, a dedication to craft, and a fearless pursuit of the truth behind celebrity glamour. This exhibition invites viewers to experience his art in a more intimate context, revealing the personality, spontaneity, and humanity that made his photographs iconic.