NEW YORK—For a young starlet whose behavior usually lands her on the front pages of the tabloids, Lindsay Lohan has surprisingly tame taste in art. Lohan hosted a silent auction of 14 photographs in the 42nd Street Atelier condo tower last night to benefit the American Red Cross, and it seemed as though she purposefully avoided sensational pictures. The event featured three up-and-coming photographers — Donna Santisi, Gus Freedman, and Zach Hyman — whom Lohan chose herself. Together, the works, with suggested prices in the $1,400 to $2,000 range, present a trilogy of classic subjects: rock 'n' roll, nature scenes, and urban life.

Santisi exhibited black-and-white photographs of rock 'n' roll stars, among them Patti Smith and James Brown. The celebrity subjects impart credibility to Santisi's rather uninspired camera work. In much the same way, Lohan lent her aura to Freedman's nature pictures — trees and heather and boats taken in morning light — making him one lucky sentimental nature photographer. Depicting traditional subject matter with formal acuity, the photos are refreshing because they are so decidedly un-hip.

In contrast, Hyman's pictures are vibrant celebrations of the ugly, the creepy, and the energy of youth. And yet they are saved from being too self-consciously "edgy" by their expert form. Looking at Toy, a shot of a New York street corner taken from many floors up, one becomes reacquainted with rectangular shapes and primary colors: Hyman communicates a formal simplicity reminiscent of Piet Mondrian. One hopes that, if nothing else, Lohan's celebrity will at least draw attention to Hyman's exciting work.

Results from the silent auction are forthcoming.