The Rise & Fall of Ms. Britney Spears

2008 | print

When we were asked to create a monograph on any topic, Britney Spears was an interesting choice, simply due to the amount of information that was so readily and surprisingly available. Choosing an article previously published in Rolling Stone Magazine on her very public downfall to act as the main copy, I decided to focus on the monograph not as a record of her career and life, but as a record of what can be considered to be one of the most popular performances in popular culture: her personal rise and fall from grace.

At one point in time, everyone knew about Britney Spears’ breakdown, and whatever opinions that one may have about her, there was still no doubt that everyone had something to say about her personal life. The monograph documents this turbulent moment, and subtly raises the issue of usually private and honest life experiences made public. The book’s aesthetic is meant to contrast the loud, obnoxious and messy nature of tabloids and trashy magazines, and to let the selected images speak more for themselves. It begins with the 17-year old Britney Spears, polished, sweet, and very alluring for numerous photo-shoots, and degrades into blurry YouTube screen captures of her slowly breaking down and falling into the image frames of paparazzi and cellphone cameras. Also included as a feature, there is a flipbook animation in the left-hand corner of Spears being goofy, which subsequently serves as a quiet reminder of a simple girl in a bad situation as the viewer goes through the content.

Does the publicized lifestyle elevate this into another performance piece, only laced with very heavy overtones of reality entertainment? In the time of reality television and entertainment, where can we truly draw the line?