In his new series of work "The Crash", renowned photographer David LaChapelle provokes us to take a deeper look into the obsession with materialistic acquisition that has driven contemporary Western Society.
In a time of radical economic transformation, we are forced to re- evaluate the true definition of "luxury" and the objects that embody this characteristic.
The titles of each of the five works in the series are derived directly from automobile advertising. With phrases such as, "Intelligent Decadence" and "Luxurious Power", the artist succinctly defines the perceived value that has been placed on these machines.
These cars, which consume exorbitant amounts of energy, finance and desire, are pointedly responsible for a depletion of these very resources, which are presently at a breaking point.
The destruction of luxury status symbols reminds us of the fleeting nature of such acquisitions, and illustrate that we have reached a turning point in our conspicuous consumption.
In the series "Negative Currency" LaChapelle revives a developing process with which he previously experimented in 1990.
By using the enlarger in the darkroom, LaChapelle used dollar bills in the place of a negative and the resulting effect was a pink print that shows both sides of the currency at once. By rendering the image of the physical currency as a virtual negative, he makes a direct correlation to the recent economic collapse being based on false commodities and misrepresented capital.
As with his "The Crash" series, LaChapelle forces us to examine the true "value" of capital. Not only the title, but also the photographic process he revived is a playful exploration of negativity as a theme.
Ever the social commentator, the artist uses the creative process to deliver visually stunning results and to enable the viewer to delve deeper into politically and socio-economically relevant issues. These elements, combined with humor and irony, are a perfect extension of themes that LaChapelle explored in his series, "Jesus is My Homeboy", which was exhibited at Wolfgang Roth & Partners, Fine Art during Art Basel Miami Beach, 2008.
David LaChapelle was born in Connecticut in 1963. Recognized at an early age, he started to work for Andy Warhol in New York before finishing high school. David later attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Although beginning his career in commercial photography, he later expanded into fashion, advertising, and fine art. Recently ranked among the Top Ten Most Important People in Photography in the World by American Photo, LaChapelle's work has transcended the fashion and celebrity magazine context and been enshrined by the contemporary art intelligentsia.
David LaChapelle's artwork has been published by the most prestigious international publications and has been exhibited in commercial galleries such as Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York, Atmosphere in Vienna, and Jablonka Galerie in Germany. Further, his work has appeared in internationally recognized public institutions and museums such as the Palazzo delle Esposizioni and Palazzo Reale in Italy, The Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin and at the Barbican Museum in London.
David lives in Hawaii and works all over the world.