The Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara celebrates its 15th anniversary presenting the exhibition Delirium of Reason by David LaChapelle.
The exhibition comprises 64 photographs by this gifted artist, who started his career at Interview magazine when he was invited to collaborate by Andy Warhol. The show includes works of art pertaining to several series: Art System, Disasters, Heaven to Hell, Car Crash, Awakened and Meditation.
LaChapelle attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and School of Visual Arts in New York City. His first photograph was of his mother, Helga LaChapelle, on a family vacation in Puerto Rico.
Andy Warhol offered him his first professional job as a photographer for Interview after meeting him at Studio 54 where LaChapelle was working at the time. He has also worked for Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair throughout the years.
LaChapelle has four published books of his photographs, including LaChapelle Land, Hotel LaChapelle, Heaven to Hell, and Artists and Prostitutes. All four books contain vivid and surreal portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Manson, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bündchen, David Beckham, Björk, Shakira, Drew Barrymore, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, Lil’ Kim, Lance Armstrong, Angelina Jolie, Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Uma Thurman, Brook Shields, Leonardo Dicaprio, Amanda Lepore, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Madonna, P!nk, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue and recently Lady GaGa
LaChapelle directed singer Elton John’s show, The Red Piano at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, which premiered in 2004. The show features extensive use of video technology on an LED screen backing the show that, when built, was promoted as the largest and brightest of all time. Several of John’s songs during the performance are accompanied by short films by LaChapelle.
LaChapelle’s documentary, “Rize” (2005) on the krumping style of dance in South Central Los Angeles, premiered at Sundance in 2005 and was released theatrically that summer.
He has directed advertisements for major brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Lavazza, Nokia, L’Oréal, Diesel and Burger King. In 2006 he directed “Romeo and Juliet,” a five-minute commercial for H&M’s new denim brand and “Tis the Season to be Gorgeous,” a humorous Christmas commercial for UK retailer Boots Group showing glamorous-looking women doing relatively mundane Christmas tasks. Also in the UK, he directed the surreal Lost trailers for Channel 4, show the cast dancing in 1920s costume among the burning wreckage on the beach; whilst the cast voice-over such phrases as “one of us is a murderer”; “one of us is a junkie” etc. In addition to this, he directed Channel 4’s promotion of Desperate Housewives season one.
LaChapelle’s work has been described as surrealist, grotesque, shocking and ironic. His use of celebrities exaggerates aspects of their personalities and their personal lives.
