Portrait of
a Photographer
A Look Inside the Lens
Story by
Debra Kronowitz
Photos courtesy of
Fred Torres Collaboration & Wolfgang Roth & Partners, Fine
Art, 2003
Regarded as one of the best working photographers in the
world, David LaChapelle is known for taking images of
popular culture and twisting them into surreal fantasies.
Pop artist Andy Warhol offered him his first professional
job for Interview magazine after meeting him
at Studio 54, where LaChapelle worked as a busboy – he was
still in high school.
His career started in fashion photography
and moved into celebrity portraiture. He has photographed
personalities as diverse as Tupac Shakur, Madonna, Hillary
Clinton and Lance Armstrong. Once called the “Fellini” of
photography, LaChapelle has worked for the most prestigious
international publications, and has been the subject of
exhibitions in both commercial galleries and leading
international public institutions.
Noted for his surreal, unique and often
humourous style, LaChapelle’s images are both bizarre and
beautiful. His work has been called “meticulously posed
cartoons.” |
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“I’m creating an environment, an atmosphere,
the LaChapelle world,” he once said in an interview. “I feel that my
pictures are more honest in some photos because they are fantasies,
they aren’t parading themselves as reality. Everything is
manipulation, in a way. So, where do you draw the line? I believe it
doesn’t have to end,” he said.
Ranked among the “Top Ten Most Important People in Photography in
the World” by American Photo, LaChapelle’s images
have appeared in Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Vanity
Fair, GQ, Rolling Stone and i-D. His work can be
seen in galleries and museums worldwide.
In the last 10 years, LaChapelle has focused less on digital
technology because he is more interested in creating crazy scenes
and not using retouching as a tool. “Photography is like a painting.
It can be anything I want it to be at any time,” he said.
Recently, he expanded his work to include music videos, live
theatrical events and documentary film-making. His directing credits
include music videos for Christina Aguilera, Moby, Jennifer Lopez,
Britney Spears, The Vines and No Doubt. It’s My Life
with Gwen Stefani won the award for “Best Pop Video” at the
MTV Music Video Awards and
LaChapelle himself garnered “Director of the Year” award in 2004.
His stage work includes Elton John’s The Red Piano.
His interest in film led him to make the short documentary,
Krumped, an award-winner at Sundance
from which he developed RIZE. The film was released
worldwide in the summer of 2005 to critical acclaim, and was chosen
to open the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival in
New York City. In addition, LaChapelle has
published four books: Heaven to Hell, Artists &
Prostitutes, Hotel
LaChapelle
and
LaChapelle
Land.
His work continues to
be inspired by everything
–
from art history to street culture. He says Adina Paley is a prime
influence, and claims
that it was her work that first inspired him.
“It’s all about teamwork and collaboration,” he said. “I’m really
just a button, per se, at the end of the day.”
From Dec. 2 through Jan. 10,
2009,
Wolfgang Roth &
Partners, Fine Art
Gallery will present Jesus is My Homeboy and
Stilthouses
and
Bidonvilles Sculptures.
The show
features
a
photography series by David LaChapelle and sculptures by Arne Quinze.
The opening reception is slated for Dec. 2, from
8 – 11 pm. The gallery is located at 201 N.E. 39 St. |
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