Long Live the King

Artist statement

The King is dead. Or is he?

I had very little interest in Elvis Presley until I heard about “Death Week” in Memphis. This is an annual celebration of Presley’s life and music. It is officially known as “Elvis Week” but some of the more skeptical Memphians bestowed the alternative title. I was intrigued by the cynicism and in 2002 traveled to America to photograph the event.

In Memphis I discovered a subject rich in visual imagery and – somewhat surprisingly – a kind of religious devotion: intense, obsessive fans; smartly-suited “Elvii” (aka the tribute artists) channeling the King’s message; the formalized ceremony of the stage performance; elaborate shrines; ubiquitous iconography; candlelight vigils; pilgrimages to Graceland; and an endless supply of kitsch relics and memorabilia. I also witnessed how closely Elvis’ memory is tied to the American Dream and all that comes with that cultural package: devotion to God, country and celebrity.

The breath and depth of this world of Elvis adoration prompted me to expand my research and I began to search out fans and tribute artists. In 2004 I went back to Memphis. This exhibition represents a very small part of what has now developed into a series of on-going photo-documentary projects examining celebrity worship and modern religious experience.

Long live the King.

John Savage