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In the 1970s Brad Elterman (b.1956) pioneered a new style of behind-the-scenes music photography, documenting some of the biggest names in rock’n’roll. Characterized by his candid shots of stars backstage, partying or on the road, the photographer offered Rolling Stone and Creem readers a taste of what it was like to hang out with the day’s icons, away from the studio. With the demise of the punk scene Elterman went into an extended hiatus which lasted almost twenty-five years. In 2010 he resumed his career, swapping negatives for an online presence, quickly acquiring a 18k following on Instagram, and 330k on Tumblr it was clear that Elterman had vaulted back into the vanguard of contemporary photography alerting the attention of taste makers like Olivier Zahm of Purple magazine.

Today Elterman is more active than ever shooting a new generation of musicians, models, and celebrities, with the same exuberance, insight, and fun that defined his early work. In this latest book by the artist Elterman has chosen to present a contemporary collection of portraits taken in and around his Bel Air home, which he affectionately calls “Villa La Rêve”.

Culled from photo shoots for magazines like ODDA, Vice, Notion, Flaunt, DNA, and Purple, Elterman combines images of emerging bands like Haim, Cherry Glazerr, Sunflower Bean, and Brooke Candy together with improvised shots of established stars such as Pamela Anderson, Jeremy Scott and Steve Jones lounging around the lush surroundings of his house. Exploiting the intimacy of his home location together with the spontaneity of his subjects Elterman presents all levels of the Los Angeles cultural elite with a personal flourish that is all his own.

The publication of Villa La Rêve marks the first time that Elterman’s recent photographs have been brought together in a single, limited edition artist book.