Celebrity's trash
Rick in Oz
39e5-d17c-411a-84d1-dd6244b4bfe8&page=1
One celebrity's trash ...
Nicolas Cage: Halle Berry
Steven Edwards
National Post
NEW YORK - Tabloid reporters and Beverly Hills hobos have long been known to
rummage through the garbage of Hollywood stars, but now we learn two French
lensmen have also indulged in the grimy practice for the past 15 years.
Pascal Rostain and Bruno Mouron have not only photographed their pickings
from the bins of stars like Pamela Anderson and Mel Gibson, they're selling
framed portraits of the celebrity rubbish for US$6,000 a pop.
Their work -- on display at the so-called Star Trash Store in New York -- is
arguably more revealing of the private lives of Hollywood's most famous than
anything you'll read in People, In Touch or Us magazines.
For CNN talkmeister Larry King, it's also been downright embarrassing. Items
from his household refuse included a box of Depends adult diapers, leading
to vicious gossip that the 70-year-old host of Larry King Live might himself
have used them.
Not so, insisted King, and Rostain and Mouron quickly removed the picture
from the exhibition.
"We were so sorry," said Rostain, 45, in an interview. "We made a rule not
to include any products of a sexual or medical nature, but we thought these
diapers were for children.
"You see, we're French, and we're not familiar with American products, but
we did know he has two young children."
In other portraits we see that Madonna's household gets the day started with
Cocoa Pebbles, someone in Marlon Brando's home has a penchant for
quarter-pound Hebrew National frankfurters, and Tom Hanks subscribes to a
host of weekly magazines.
The garbage of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yielded Casillas
Cuban cigars, which are illegal in the United States.
Tom Cruise, meanwhile, appears to be big on self-grooming. A list found in
his trash suggests he uses 13 facial creams. Also retrieved was a nose-hair
trimmer. It's not clear who in his household might be leafing through a
catalogue for Victoria's Secret, the lingerie store.
Rostain said he has personally photographed Jack Nicholson, but learned more
about him from his garbage.
It yielded, among other things, an uncashed cheque for US$1.25 and signed by
a fan named Charles J. Kelly of Boston. A notation on the cheque said it was
to cover postage for a signed picture of the star. No hint of whether
Nicholson sent the portrait free of charge or just ignored the request
altogether.
Other stars whose rubbish the lensmen took included Halle Berry (she had
lots of fuzzy toys for her cat); Sean Penn (what was he doing with a
mousetrap?); and John Travolta (plenty of Tiffany receipts).
Former Playboy centrefold Anderson was the only Canadian. Her bins produced
empty vodka bottles, Marlboro cigarette boxes, men's underwear and a slinky
T-shirt.
If all this sounds like the work of eccentrics living vicariously, think
again, Rostain insists. He and Mouron, 48, prefer to compare their work to
the likes of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup art.
"We're not tabloid journalists," he insists. "This is a serious study of the
age of consumerism."
He says the idea came to them in 1989 when they saw an article in the French
newspaper Le Monde about a sociology professor's assignment for his
students.
"It was to look through the garbage of 10 French families for a year,"
Rostain said. "It was to learn about their personality by looking at what
they eat, drink and smoke."
Rostain said they planned to do the same but knew from their years as
photographers with Paris Match they must focus on celebrities if they wanted
widespread media attention.
They started Dumpster diving at the home of Brigitte Bardot, film star of
the 1960s turned eccentric animal lover. They then made three trips to Los
Angeles -- in 1990, 1996 and 2004 -- to complete their work. They say they
never trespassed on the stars' properties, adding that taking garbage dumped
on sidewalks is legal.
Travolta was the only star who even inquired what they were doing.
"He just looked. He possibly thought we were homeless people," said Rostain.
Shipping their hauls back to France raised a few eyebrows, however.
"The customs people in France said we were crazy," said Rostain. "We had to
do a lot of explaining."
Star Trash Store is at 28 Wooster St. in Manhattan, and the exhibition runs
to July 16. Next stop is Europe, though a Canadian exhibition has not been
ruled out, Rostain said.
© National Post 2004
From Sunny Oz, Rick :)
Proud Keeper of the talented & beautiful Halle Berry.
sadey...@earthlink.net
> From: "Rick in Oz" <ozbadcat@h*tmail.com>
>
> "You see, we're French, and we're not familiar with American products, but
> we did know he has two young children."
Bullshit. There are old, incontinent people EVERYWHERE. It's a human
problem. Americans aren't the only people who use Depends for incontinence.
Not to mention, any moron [even a FRENCH moron] can tell a child's diaper
from an adult's diaper. I'm no Larry King fan, but this is downright evil.
>
> In other portraits we see that Madonna's household gets the day started with
> Cocoa Pebbles, someone in Marlon Brando's home has a penchant for
> quarter-pound Hebrew National frankfurters,
LOL, sounds like they got Marlon and Madonna's garbage mixed up.