No Pictures

Ron Galella didnt invent the word paparazzoItalian for a buzzing mosquitobut he certainly personalized it by redefining the relationship between the movie star and the photographer. Now in the business of catching public figures in private moments for more than three decades, the nations most famous celebrity photojournalist presents the next chapter in his ongoing visual diary of fame, wealth, and success in America. In No Pictures, Galellas second powerHouse monograph and the follow-up to the 2006 smash hit Disco Years, confrontation takes the forefront. Just as famous today as Galellas images of a windblown, jeans-wearing Jacqueline Onassis is the legal battle that ensued; in a trial that lasted 26 days and made the cover of Life magazine, Onassis sued Galella and secured a restraining order against him. He has run afoul of Sean Penn, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, Sam Shepard, and countless other stars, not to mention Studio 54 owner Steve Rubellwho eventually banned him from the cluband legions of angry bodyguards. No Pictures chronicles these conflicts and Galellas relentless persistence in the face of it all, even when things got violent (as with Brando, who once landed a punch that broke the photographers jaw and five of his teeth). Driven by a mad curiosity and a dogged insistence that the lives of celebrities are fair game for one and all, he has continued to take risks and make enemies in service of getting the perfect shot. The stars may shout No pictures! but Galella refuses to take no for an answer.