Publisher Description

Conceived by Ivory Serra for Drago's 36 Chambers series, The Serra Effect is an immersive tracking shot of the characters and idols of neo-pop culture portrayed in their most natural environment: the spectacle society. In the words of Peter Beard, the images presented in this book are "absolutely classic and strangely unique." The icons immortalised by Serra include Umberto Eco, Elisabeth Hurley, Tony Alva, Andy Warhol, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Aaron Rose, Mark Gonzales, Harold Hunter, James Taylor, Richard Serra, Jonas Mekas, Colin McKay, Phil Frost, Alanis Morrissette, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Moby, Stacey Peralta, Rodney Torres, Barry McGee, Tom Sachs, Robert Plants, Philip Glass, Wu Tang, Moorcheeba, Avril Lavigne and Lenny Kravitz. The artist chooses to present each of these lively, iconic portraits adjacent to images of arbitrary and still objects in a stunning display of Serra's inimitable style.

Author Biography

Ivory Serra has been a photographer in New York City for ten years. He received an MFA from Hunter College, and currently teaches photography at NYU. Serra has been first assistant to some of the biggest heavyweights in the world of celebrity portrait photography. Names like Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger, Willy Rizzo, Martin Schoeller and Peter Beard have all placed their trust in his vast technical knowledge. From 2002- 2004, Serra was the official photographer for AOL Music. He documented the recording sessions and interviews of 35 or more artists ranging from Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel to Nelly and Kid Romeo. His photos have been published in a wide variety of magazines including: Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Time, XXL, Revolver, Guitarworld and ID, and featured in various books including Hip Hop Immortals and most recently, the Beautiful Losers exhibition book. Serra was also the in-house photographer for Alleged Galleries for the last six years and documented all the artworks and artists that have shown there. These images were recently released in the book, Young, Sleek and Full of Hell, with an exhibition at Printed Matter, NYC and Colette, Paris in 2005.

Long Description

Ivory Serra's intoxicating insider photographs have appeared in Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Time and XXL, and in the books Hip Hop Immortals and the bestselling Beautiful Losers. He was the in-house photographer for the legendary New York gallery Alleged, over its last six years in the 1990s, documenting art and artists both, and his work there was published in the book Young, Sleek and Full of Hell, with accompanying shows in New York and Paris. This newest volume offers a tracking shot of the characters and neo-pop idols upon whom Serra's gaze has rested over his years with a camera, all captured in their natural environments. They include: Lenny Kravitz, Bam Margera, Terry Richardson, Mark Gonzales, Harmony Korine, Chloe Sevigny, Nelly, Tyra Banks, Azzedine Alaia, Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, Richard Serra, Phil Frost, Tom Sachs, the Wu Tang Clan and Avril Lavigne. Peter Beard calls The Serra Effect "Absolutely classic America authentica--pure Ivory."

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