Week 11- Fotografiska Museum/David LaChapelle (Make Believe)

David LaChapelle was born in Connecticut in 1963. At age 17, LaChapelle moved to New York City. Following his first photography show at Gallery 303, Andy Warhol hired him to work at Interview Magazine. Through his mastery of color, unique composition, and imaginative narratives, LaChapelle expanded the genre of photography. His staged tableau, portrait, and still life works challenged devices of traditional photography and his work quickly gained international interest. LaChapelle’s work is deeply religious. Apart from carrying deep religious messages and modernizing traditions in religious art, his work contains a genuine empathy for humanity and a concern for its future. Two of his large-scale photo projects are based on biblical events.

“Deluge.” © David LaChapelle, courtesy of Fotografiska New York

Large enough to occupy an entire wall is “Deluge,” based on the great flood of Genesis and Michelangelo’s iteration of it in the Sistine Chapel. Set in a submerged Las Vegas (the “City of Sin”), it features a sunken car, collapsing phone lines, and a crumbling Caesar’s Palace.

“Wonderbread.” © David LaChapelle, courtesy of Fotografiska New York

Art often reflects the political, religious, or social views of both the artist and the people who buy the art. Because Art is expensive, governments and religions often are the groups who can afford Art. LaChapelle’s work also features themes about consumerist society, as Warhol’s did. But where Warhol’s Brillo pad boxes and Campbell’s soup cans make commentary on mass production, LaChappelle aptly focuses on technology and luxury.

“Addicted to Diamonds” © David LaChapelle, courtesy of Fotografiska New York

In “Addicted to Diamonds,” model Amanda Lepore snorts diamonds as cocaine with a rolled-up $500 bill. In “Icarus,” based on the Greek myth, a figure with feathery wings made of crutches lay lifeless on a pile of broken computers. The “Aristocracy” series shows private planes circling in pastel clouds and crashing into each other, signifying an endless search for wealth.

“Aristocracy” © David LaChapelle, courtesy of Fotografiska New York

In the course of his career, LaChapelle explored photography in every single way, experimenting also with both male and female nudism. LaChapelle's famous biblical shots caused a scandal since angelic and spiritual images were revisited in a modern and almost over-the-top way.