British photographer Alison Jackson (site has automatic video) specializes in shooting celebrity lookalikes in revealing photos. Her work is convincingly real, but the situations give it away. You may have already seen the photos of an Angelina lookalike breastfeeding. Her other work includes scenes like Hillary Clinton observing Bill’s affair with Monica, Camilla Parker Bowles and Princess Diana in a tense scene with Prince Charles looking on, and David Beckham coaching Prince William on how to dress.

Jackson says that her lookalike celebrities help us to question what is real, and to understand what we value about their fame and image:

This is what I aim to do: Create likenesses of icons, where in image – on paper – the simulation of icons, ‘threatens the difference between ‘true’ an ‘false’, between ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’. The ‘real’ subject becomes ‘not necessary’. The image or icon is ore important and more seductive. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t the ‘real’ icon – as long as it looks like him or her – but it creates a temporary confusion. This is the confusion I search to create in my work, to explore this gap.

[quote is from the artist’s website earlier this week. It has since been redesigned]

Alison Jackson’s book Private is currently available. She has a new book out in May, and was featured on the television show 20/20 on January 5, 2007.

Some of her selected work is accessible through the thumbnails below. Some are mildly NSFW.