$ 39.95
Order from the powerHouse Shop
by Susan Anderson
Foreword by Simon Doonan
Introduction by Robert Greene
Beauty / Photography / Parenting Decisions
Hardcover
8.75 x 9.75 inches
144 pages
90 four-color photographs
ISBN: 978-1-57687-514-8
by Susan Anderson
Foreword by Simon Doonan
Introduction by Robert Greene
Beauty / Photography / Parenting Decisions
Hardcover
8.75 x 9.75 inches
144 pages
90 four-color photographs
ISBN: 978-1-57687-514-8
High Glitz: The Extravagant World of Child Beauty Pageants is a close-up and intimate look at America’s child beauty pageants, and in turn our society’s obsession with youth, beauty, fame, and fortune. Susan Anderson’s vibrant portraits of pageant contestants offer a new perspective on this uniquely American subculture.
“High Glitz” is a subgenre of child beauty pageants characterized by couture “glitz” costumes and a broad array of cosmetic preparations including, among other tricks of the trade: glamour makeup, elaborate hairstyles, and “flippers” (false front teeth veneers). Anderson’s stunning visuals are complimented by a “High Glitz Style Guide,” defining and providing examples of the following categories: Beauty/ Formal Wear, Western Wear, Sportswear, and Swimwear, with a special section on hairstyles such as the “Barbie” and the “Up-do.”
Each year as many as 100,000 children under the age of 12 participate in U.S. child beauty pageants, and it has recently become a billion-dollar industry. Parents invest thousands of dollars on costumes and private coaches to give their children a competitive edge. Countless hours are spent by professional hair and makeup artists on each child in preparation for the competition. The girls are spray-tanned, made-up, and groomed to a glossy perfection. Anderson captures the results of this time-consuming transformation process in exquisite detail.
In seeing how our society’s values of beauty, glamour, and celebrity are reflected in the hopes and dreams of thousands of young girls, we come to see that these pageants are a reflection of American culture itself.
Susan Anderson is a Los Angeles based commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer, specializing in portraiture, beauty, fashion, and conceptual/narrative work. Having earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago, Anderson relocated to Los Angeles in 2001. Her work has appeared in a variety of magazines including Los Angeles, People, Glamour, and The Robb Report. Her fine-art work is represented by TORCH Gallery in Amsterdam and Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles.
Simon Doonan is a writer, bon vivant, fashion commentator, and window-dresser. He writes a column for the New York Observer entitled, “Simon Says.” He has also written four books including Confessions of a Window Dresser (Studio, 1998), and Eccentric Glamour (Simon & Schuster, 2008).
Robert Greene has authored many books including, The 48 Laws of Power (Viking, 1998), The Art of Seduction (Penguin, 2001), and The 33 Strategies of War (Penguin, 2006). His most recent release is, The 50th Law coauthored by 50 Cent, published by HarperStudio in 2009.
