Weegee, the Pop Artist That Never Was

Weegee, born Arthur Fellig, was a legendary self-made artist known for his iconic photographs capturing the gritty underbelly of New York City in the mid-20th century. His ability to show up at crime scenes before the police earned him the nickname “Weegee,” likened to a mystical Ouija board. Living on the fringes of society, Weegee roamed the streets at night, documenting fires, murders, and other tragedies with a keen eye for detail.

Despite his outsider status, Weegee cultivated a larger-than-life persona, branding himself as “Weegee the Famous” and becoming a curiosity among the elite. His early career as a nighttime news photographer evolved into capturing Hollywood stars and politicians, showcasing a diverse range of subjects. The exhibition “Weegee: Society of the Spectacle” at the International Center of Photography traces his transformation from street photographer to celebrity portraitist.

While critics have often dismissed Weegee’s later work, labeling it as tawdry or sensationalist, a closer look reveals a surprising connection to Pop Art. His distorted portraits of pop culture icons like Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy hint at a proto-Pop Artist sensibility. By embracing the spectacle of horror and the hyperbolic nature of his own persona, Weegee occupies a unique space between documentary photography and parody.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Weegee’s work is its reflection of the cultural shifts of the time. His early photos of criminals and murderers can be seen as precursors to Andy Warhol’s iconic Pop Art pieces. Weegee’s ability to capture the macabre with a sense of glee and exaggeration blurs the line between reality and artifice, raising questions about the nature of photography and the role of the artist in shaping public perception.