Philippa Snow's 'Trophy Lives' Examines Celebrities as Art Objects

Philippa Snow's book 'Trophy Lives: On the Celebrity as an Art Object' argues that celebrities function as contemporary art objects, expanding traditional definitions. Published by Mack, the softcover costs £14. Snow begins by discussing beauty's role in society, linking celebrity to beauty, sex appeal, and marketability. She analyzes how celebrities transform into fine art, citing Richard Phillips's 2011 film 'Lindsay Lohan', Elizabeth Peyton's paintings of Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kim Kardashian's 2015 selfie book 'Selfish'. Artists like Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Marina Abramović, and Amalia Ulman, who engage with or become celebrities, are also examined. Snow notes that both celebrities and artworks risk being dismissed as merely decorative if perceived as too pretty, reflecting a broader rejection of beauty in art over the past century, where concept has often been prioritized. She challenges this trend, asserting that beauty's appeal is inherently human, despite modern discomfort with it. The book contrasts with art writing focused on identity and ideology, offering an optimistic reframing of celebrity through an artistic lens. Snow disavows equating beauty with goodness but emphasizes beauty's magnetic pull, highlighting tensions between human desire for beauty and toxic perfection standards in an era of scrutiny and monetizable fame.