VII Interactive Book Club. “Idols + Believers” by Jocelyn Bain Hogg
The culmination of years of photographing the inner machinations of public and private events such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscars, Idols+Believers by Jocelyn Bain Hogg juxtaposes vibrant color images with sensitive black-and-white shots to present a fully rounded exploration of the nature of fame and fandom in the twenty-first century. The color images reflect our apparently insatiable appetite for all things celebrity: from Kylie’s knickers and plastic Bart Simpson dolls, to tourist rides over Hollywood by helicopter. Starkly contrasted black-and-white images take the reader on an intimate behind-the-scenes tour of the fame machine—from the paparazzi pack chasing the latest starlet, to fans and press swarming together around a delighted Arnold Schwarzenegger, to the icy stare of Angelina Jolie as she heads for her latest premiere. No one is left out when it comes to dissecting the celebrity industry: Producers, pop idols, supermodels, fashion designers, publicists, look-a-likes, paparazzi, and even porn stars all play their part.
This lecture was originally hosted at VII Interactive, a new resource for sharing insights and information on the craft of visual storytelling. We are building different platforms within the VII ecosystem, where the public can engage directly, online with a live instructor. VII Interactive offers programming that is free and available to everyone, in addition to paid classes and individual mentoring that can be fashioned to your needs.