Two Joans.

2008-06-11 20:00:02

Looking at a 1930 photograph of Joan Crawford by George Hurrell, the Independent's Hannah Duguid describes it as "the stuff of fantasy...simply a close-up of her perfectly beautiful face. Crawford's troubled character is not apparent in these photographs, nor is her battle with alcohol; the ravages of life are painted over with clever lighting and a thick concealer." Duguid, writing on the occasion of a new exhibit of celebrity photography at Yorkshire's National Media Museum, traces the progression from the idealized portraits of the studio era to publicity stunts and the rise of the paparazzi. Question: Which is the true opposite of everything represented by that Crawford photo — US Magazine's reoccuring "Just Like Us!" feature of the famous taking out their garbage, picking a friend up at the airport or getting coffee, or the gallery I stumbled on while looking for "Just Like Us," entitled "Stars Falling Down"? Elsewhere,...

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