Dash Snow, 27, art photographer

Artist Dash Snow, whose Polaroid images chronicled the sex- and drug-fueled party circuit of downtown Manhattan in recent years, died at the age of 27.

A drug overdose may have caused Snow's death, said his grandmother Christophe de Menil, a philanthropist and art collector. The cause of death is under investigation by the New York City Medical Examiner's office, spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.

"He went to a detox center in March and then everything was fine for about two months," de Menil said. "As a human, Dash lived on the edge, because for him it was the way to know."

Snow died at Lafayette House, a hotel in lower Manhattan, and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight yesterday, according to the police report.

"He had a troubled existence," said Javier Peres, the artist's dealer, by phone from the Menil Collection in Texas. "He did the best he could. He was an amazing, sweet, wonderful person and he left a great legacy. It's a very sad day for us."

As well as photographs, Snow's works included graffiti, newspaper collages and sculptures. The artist first showed with Rivington Arms, a Lower East Side gallery that closed earlier this year. His work appeared in the 2006 Whitney Biennial. In 2008, he moved to Peres Projects, with galleries in Los Angeles and Berlin.

Snow had been a friend for years, Peres said.

Snow's collectors included advertising mogul Charles Saatchi, hedge-fund manager Adam Sender and Greek industrialist Dakis Joannou, Peres said.

"He was a very talented and influential young artist," said Sarah Aibel, curator of the Sender collection. "It's very tragic."

Sender, founder of Exis Capital Management Inc., owns Snow's untitled piece comprising 20 New York Post covers with portraits of Saddam Hussein, covered with glitter and semen (said to be Snow's). It was included in last year's "Babylon: Myth and Truth" exhibition at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

"He was the shooting star, the brightest star on the art scene," de Menil's friends said in a statement. "It's a great loss to our family and friends. He's gone too soon."

Snow is survived by his grandmother, his mother Taya Thurman, his father Christopher Snow, his partner Jade Berreau and their daughter Secret Snow, who will be 2 years old in two weeks.