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Photographer Annie Leibovitz’s award-winning exhibition “Rewarding Lives” is cu

While traditional museum exhibits display art on white walls in square-shaped rooms, the “Rewarding Lives” installation of Annie Leibovitz’s photographs presents art in spherical spaces to complement the two-dimensional photographs.

The free exhibit at the Pacific Design Center, ongoing until July 1, displays a wide range of Leibovitz’s celebrity photography, from a bronzed Arnold Schwarzenegger atop a white horse to dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov standing with his legs in an arabesque on a sleek grand piano.

Unfortunately, the very reason the exhibit even exists is also a cause for complaint. Since American Express is the sponsor of “Rewarding Lives,” the celebrities chosen from Leibovitz’s portfolio are all American Express cardholders. This fact is shown in the captions accompanying the photographs, and, for some celebrities, an actual American Express Card (with the number partially covered) is on display as well.

The first thing the visitor sees while walking into the exhibit are numerous American Express cards tiled on a clear plastic wall.

The fact American Express wanted to sponsor an exhibit where Leibovitz’s magnificent photography is coupled in a progressive design space is certainly commendable. Yet the bombardment of the company’s name throughout the exhibit becomes distracting and gives viewers the impression that the exhibit is more about American Express than art.

An example of American Express’ subversive advertising is a horizontal black-and-white photograph of various movie directors against a studio drop cloth. Listed in the main title are American Express cardholders Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese. Francis Ford Coppola also appears in the picture, but his name is conspicuously absent from the main title, presumably because Coppola is not an American Express cardholder.

Even beyond the credit card distractions, the exhibit has its own strengths and shortcomings. Leibovitz’s photographic eye captures celebrity as the epitome of Hollywood glamour. Though some of Leibovitz’s subjects are covered in mud or paint, or are in a public rest room, the essence of the still frame conveys a timeless magic.

As for the design, the exhibit is installed on the outdoor terrace in a glass casing and tent cover, which provides crisp, natural lighting. On a sunny day, the rays filter through the white pillow-like sails and highlight both the vibrant colors in the photographs and the transparent fabric of the tent. At the same time, photographs facing the sun are subject to a glare from the glass casing, making it difficult to view the images.

As the recipient of three design awards, “Rewarding Lives,” as an art and design exhibit, has been recognized for its aesthetic value. A massive print of John Cleese from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” – dressed in a black unitard, hanging upside-down on a leafy tree branch – is glorious all on its own. But to install the print suspended above an airy, translucent pod brings a dimension to the photograph that stretches the imagination beyond white-painted museum walls.

-Rhea Cortado