FRANCE: French photographer Arno Bani's unreleased raw footage of Michael Jackson exceeds expectation at Paris auction

Record ID: 781660

  • Title: FRANCE: French photographer Arno Bani's unreleased raw footage of Michael Jackson exceeds expectation at Paris auction
  • Date: 14th December 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 13, 2010) (REUTERS) AUCTION
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAE74U7LCQOD1YTP3QJLZACSZOU
  • Story Text: Photographer Arno Bani's unique never-before-seen snaps of Michael Jackson went under the hammer at a an auction in Paris on Monday (December 13).
    Capturing the pop star in bright striking colours and dramatic poses, Michael Jackson is revealed to be vulnerable yet at the height of his prowess in the photos.
    Despite the continuous barrage of Michael Jackson publicity since his death, the photos are nonetheless significant, hoping to offer a raw and more humanized look into one of the most talented yet controversial pop acts in history.
    Barno says that his photos are unique because they are unedited, providing a fresh look at Jackson - and due to contractual reasons, until the exhibition of the auction, they haven't been released since they were taken ten years ago when they were commissioned ahead of the Invincible album cover.
    "They are unedited, and above all they are different to what he had done up until now. And you have to know as well that he was someone who hated having his photo taken, he needed to be in confidence with you, he didn't do very many photo-shoots in his life, since the photo-shoot with me there haven't been any other shoots with a photographer, with works like these," he said. "It was an artistic collaboration and it was work on his image, it surpasses just being photos, it wasn't Michael who just called and said, yeah, take my picture, no, he asked me to work on his look for the years to come, because he was looking for a look for the album cover."
    said one fan, David Poncelet, who bought several of the photos.
    "It's the artist himself. He had such an enormous career, he started when he was small and right up until his death he was an artist, right up until his death. So it is normal to want a unique little reminder of him."
    The prints were expected to fetch about 500-1,000 euros at the sale, but several went for a lot more, the highest going under the auctioneer's hammer for 26,000.
    Buyer Oraito Morabito said that was a small price to pay for a unique photo of the King of Pop.
    "It's Michael Jackson! It's a unique edition, showing him as a living god," he said.
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