David LaChapelle (American, b. 1963)
LaChapelle was invested in the arts at an early age. He attended high school at North Carolina School of The Arts as a painter, but began to experiment in photography by hand-painting his own negatives before processing his film. Moving to New York City, he had his first photography show at Gallery 303 and was hired by Andy Warhol for Interview Magazine. Utilizing his mastery of color, composition, and imagination, LaChapelle staged tableaux of portraits and still lifes in photographing fashion and celebrities. He often references art history, LGTBQ+ culture, and hyper-real, kitschy, pop culture in his creations. He cites Baroque painters like Caravaggio as influences, but also has been compared to Salvador Dalí, Jeff Koons, Magritte, Michelangelo, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol due to his wide-ranging compositions and references.
His work has been collected and exhibited around the world, including MOCO Museum, Barcelona; The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, New York; The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; National Portrait Gallery, London; Pérez Art Museum, Miami, Florida; Serge Delsemme Foundation, Belgium; and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel. He is also a videographer for music videos by hit pop stars like Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Florence and the Machine, Hozier, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez, No Doubt, Britney Spears, and Amy Winehouse.
