ART AFICIONADO: David LaChapelle

Saturday, March 11, 2023

David LaChapelle

Photography Appreciation

Back in 2016, I posted a short blog on American photographer and filmmaker David LaChapelle, which you can read HERE. This entry will expand a little more into the artist.

Born on March 11, 1963, LaChapelle is best known for his distinctive style that combines elements of Pop Art, fashion photography, and surrealism that often references art history and sometimes conveys political and social messages.

LaChapelle was raised in Hartford, Connecticut until he moved with his family to Raleigh, North Carolina at he age of nine. At a very young age, he had an interest in photography. His first photo is of his mother, Helga, while on a family vacation to Puerto Rico. He credits Helga for influencing his art direction.

In his teens, he was bullied in school because of his sexuality. At the age of 15, while he and his family were back in Connecticut, he ran away from home. He became a busboy at Studio 54 in New York City.

He would return to North Carolina and enroll in the North Carolina School of the Arts, and graduate from the high school visual arts program in 1981.

LaChapelle's photography career began shortly after high school when he moved to New York City and enrolled in both the Art Students League and The School of Visual Arts. He began showing his artwork in various galleries, which caught Andy Warhol's attention. Warhol offered him his first professional photography job for Interview Magazine. LaChapelle's images subsequently appeared on the covers of magazines such as GQ, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Vogue Paris.

LaChapelle has cited a number of artists who have influenced his photography, such as Salvador Dalí, Jeff Koons, Michelangelo, Cindy Sherman, Helmut Newton, and Andy Warhol.

Throughout his career, he has produced work for ad campaigns such as Diesel, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. He has directed music videos for Rihanna, Britney Spears, and many others.