Paris Visone: For Real

Paris Visone: For Real by Aline SmithsonDecember 3, 2018

©Paris Visone

I first wrote about Paris Visone’s compelling photographs in 2010, in particular, work from her series, Gender Roles and Appearance. She had spent six years documenting family and that focus has remained as part of her ever-expanding photography practice. Happily, Peanut Press Books has just released a monograph of a broad range of her personal and professtional work, Paris Visone For Real. Including a foreword by Cig Harvey, this debut book features photographs of family, friends and rock stars. “For Real presents intimate portraits of famous musicians and Visone’s own family, blurring the lines between private life, fame, and public persona. In her photographs, Visone portrays her family and friends as rock stars while presenting renowned rock musicians with the intimacy of friends and family. Which one of her subjects is a public figure and which is her sister, cousin, or mother? Visone makes it difficult to tell as she treats every subject equally with respect and love.”

From December 10th – 16th, 2018, Peanut Press Books and the Lucie Foundation present the exhibition, Friends and Family at The House of Lucie at The Row in downtown Los Angeles. Included in the exhibition are photographs by Paris Visone, Ashly Stohl, and David Carol. Paris will be signing books at the Opening on September 15th from 5 – 7 pm. Also on the 15th, Ashly and David will teaching the workshop, How to Make a Book.

Paris Visone is a documentary photographer based in Boston. She graduated from The Art Institute of Boston where she was a faculty member. Her acclaimed series “Gender Roles and Appearance” received the Getty Images Editorial Photography Grant, and her work has been shown internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Visone has traveled the globe with numerous musical icons including Marilyn Manson, Blondie, Toto, Godsmack, New Found Glory and Limp Bizkit. Bringing her unique style on the road, she captures a personal side of these musicians through her photographs that is rarely seen. She has also been featured in numerous publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Alternative Press, Zoom Magazine, Rangefinder, Real Simple, and GEO Magazine. She is represented for photographic syndication by Redux Pictures and is sponsored by Canon.

©Paris Visone

What got me into photography was the band Hanson. I was watching TV with my mom. Entertainment Tonight to be exact. They were shooting a day in the life with Hanson. I was just getting into music, so I was obsessed. They did a photo shoot and the photographer was having so much fun hanging out with the band. So that was it. I decided “I need to become a photographer so I can hang out with Hanson.” I got a disposable camera that came free with a bag of dog food. I got my sister and 2 cousins to pose for me like they were a band. That was my first photo-shoot.

I have a big family and we are really close, so I started photographing them. I also started taking pictures at local shows. Then I tagged along on a tour with my boyfriends band. It was a natural extension of photographing my family, because tours are just huge families of people that you are not related to. You all live with each other and have to deal with everyone, all day, everyday. I met a bunch of people along the way, things lined up. It took a lot of work, luck, and being nice. You also have to really enjoy what you do. That is key.

Over the years I’ve toured with Blondie, Limp Bizkit, Marylin Manson, Toto, New Found Glory, Protagonist, and currently I’m on the road with Godsmack. I’m often asked the difference between how I approach photographing bands versus my family and friends. Honestly, there is no difference.

When I’m not touring I am usually at home hanging with my family and friends. That is when I shoot all of my personal stuff. My work is my life and my life is my work. I am just constantly taking photos. I kinda have stopped seeing them as two different things. Now it’s just my life.

This year I finally got to hang out with and photograph Hanson, so my life is now complete. – Paris Visone