David Lachapelle

DAVID LACHAPELLE (Hartford, Connecticut, 1963).
"Awakened Series Jonah" 2007.
Digital photograph, copy AP 3/3.
Signed on the back.
Measurements: 152.4 x 114.3 cm; 154 x 116 cm (frame).

With his "Awakened" series, LaChapelle set a new direction for his work. Inspired by the biblical narrative, he takes anonymous people playing the role of biblical characters (here we show the figure of Jonah), immersed in water, in a state of levitation. The beautiful lighting, their expressions, the weightlessness of the clothes, all contribute to introduce the viewer into a welcoming mystical dimension. These works confirm LaChapelle's deep connection with the transcendental, with the presence of the divine in the everyday and with the idea of the sublime.
LaChapelle's career began in a significant way in the year 1982, when Andy Warhol prompted him to publish his photographs "Interview". "Andy Warhol corresponds perfectly to his time," says the photographer, "He is without a doubt a great artist of the 20th century. He was very generous and I learned a lot from him, but we belong to two different generations and have different ideas. The most valuable art today is that which manages to clarify the time in which we live, and that's what I try to do." David LaChapelle's wacky, bizarre and fantastic images have appeared on the pages and covers of Vogue, Rolling Stone, i-D, Vibe, Interview, The Face and GQ magazines, just to name a few. His style is unique and recognizable, he works with open shots, fresh and extremely colorful scenes showing his pop-art style. His shots have a meticulous and detailed work, working with the physical aspect of the character taking it almost to caricature. "I try to take pictures that I've never seen before," LaChapelle says. Talented creative, he plays with fictitious and grotesque scenes, mostly artificial and has an excellent production, the images are generally at the time of shooting, with little post-production. We can also see in his work the criticism of the society in which we live full of excesses and vanity. His unconditional dedication to originality is legendary in the world of fashion, film and advertising. LaChapelle has participated in advertising campaigns for a variety of clients including L'Oreal, Iceberg, MTV, Ecko, Diesel Jeans, Sirius, Ford, Sky Vodka, Cervecería Cuahtemoc Moctezuma and the Got Milk? campaign. David has photographed numerous album covers for artists such as Macy Gray, Moby, No Doubt, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Madonna and Kylie Minogue. His successful first book, LaChapelle Land, was published in 1996 by Collaway Publishing, bringing within its extravagant packaging, an explosive collection of portraits of celebrities and models, including Lady Gaga, Madonna, Shakira, Leonardo DiCaprio, Pamela Anderson, Uma Thurman, Marilyn Manson, Mark Wahlberg, Drew Barrymore and Elton John. The successor to this debut was the book Hotel LaChapelle, also published by Collaway in 1999, which showcases fresh images with unforgettable colors. LaChapelle continues to achieve photographs that confront our visual tastes, taking a fresh look at today's landscape.