“Richard Simpkin’s work is a true revelation. Obsessively having his photo taken with the celebrities of the world, he shows them almost to be puppets in his own game of charades. Knowing how difficult it is to get access to celebrities in this day and age, it is an awesome achievement, and turns his whole game into a compelling piece of art.” (Martin Parr, Guest Curator of Richard & Famous; Open Eye Gallery Liverpool UK. 13 Jan — 18 March 2012)
Richard Simpkin, has been examining our ever-evolving celebrity culture and raising questions about identity, social boundaries and the passage of time for twenty five consecutive years. What began for Simpkin as an adolescent urge to photograph himself with celebrities developed into a lifelong project that has resulted in a vast collection of over 2,000 images, a wealth of anecdotes and a unique, multi-faceted self-portrait.His meticulously collected images chart the fashions and faces of countless stars from the worlds of music, film, sports and politics.
As the series progresses and Simpkin matures against a backdrop of a changing world, we get to see some of the world’s most recognisable celebrities spontaneously posing, revealing something of what lies behind their highly controlled public images.»
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