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David LaChapelle Exhibition
The flamboyant American photographer David LaChapelle launched his first show in Mexico City under the expected media hysteria and uber-exclusive launch parties where the press were purposely not invited while A-listers made it in.
His show "Delirium of Reason", which is currently running at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in the Historic Center, is heavily influenced by mural imagery which according to LaChapelle works in tandem where the show is being held.
"I'm working a lot with the mural form and I feel that having my work shown alongside Mexican murals is not only an honor but explains the current direction of my work," said the artist. "I think it's fantastic to show the relationship between the photos I'm currently taking with a country that celebrates mural art."
To coincide with the photographer's Mexican debut a local beverage firm - and one of his sponsors - commissioned LaChapelle to design an advert for them which has all the artist's exuberant trademarks. An Aztec King and Queen (two very beautiful models) sit regally on their throne, adorned with golden jewellery and enveloped by lush vegetation with the sun shining brightly in the background. At the bottom of the ad reads the words "By David LaChapelle" ... there are very few living artists around the world who could claim such name recognition.
LaChapelle has also directed many music videos for artists such as Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Brittany Spears and Gwen Stefani among others. He also produced Elton John's The Red Piano at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace in 2004 which claimed at the time to have the brightest and largest LED screen in the world.
According to legend, LaChapelle bought his first camera when he found an earring that Paloma Picasso had mislaid at the notorious seventies disco club Studio 54 in New York where he was working as an assistant.
"I didn't know the earring belonged to Paloma Picasso," said LaChapelle. "After a week had gone by and no one had returned to claim the earring I took it to a pawnshop and was given US$2,000 for it which allowed me to buy my first camera and give up my job."
Kitsch would be a clumsy way to describe LaChapelle's photographs - or any art that has an underlining sense of humor except perhaps for Jeff Koon's work - but he repeatedly likes to exaggerate his subjects (especially if they are celebrities) via a strong use of color akin to a still from a Douglas Sirk movie. He also enjoys manipulating classic imagery with modern iconography as he did in one of the pieces from "Jesus is my Homeboy" series which recreates Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" but with the gospels replaced by tatooed, hip-hop style youths.
"I think it's really important to create a narrative and then I can lose myself within it. The most important thing for me is to also include the idea of beauty when I create it. The story I want to tell then becomes a marriage between narrative and aestheticism," he said.
Music is another crucial factor when LaChapelle is working. He will listen to different types of genres according to the mood and effect he wants to create with his subject. On "Jesus is my Homeboy" LaChapelle had Jeff Buckley and Dolly Parton playing in the background and on more energetic pieces he will hire a DJ to play music for him.
Some critics accuse LaChapelle of being a fashion photographer who has simply upped the ante: bigger photos, more color and always beautiful subjects. The artist doesn't pretend to deny this. For him projecting beauty (as he sees it) is what he wants to achieve as a visual artist and is always something he has strived for since he first began taking photos.
"My photos are very personal. And sometimes, the more personal you are, the more universal you become. I'm not trying to take photos to please people unless they please me first. I try to create photos that communicate ideas and feelings. I think it's easy to produce art that people don't understand. Many contemporary artists don't undertstand how to communicate their work. Everything is too personal and random. I like art that can be appreciated without forcing you to be an intellectual."
David LaChapelle's "Delirium of Reason" is currently running at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City's Historic Center till June 14, 2009.
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