Lachapelle Front Cover And Barbican Exhibition

Photograph king, watches you go…

The October issue of Contemporary magazine sports a particularly striking photograph (above) taken by David LaChapelle. I’m not quite sure of the content of the Bowie feature just now, but many of you will be familiar with the front cover shot which is a detail from a LaChapelle picture taken of DB in 1995.

LaChapelle is responsible for more than one unusual shot of David, and it’s safe to say that the world his pictures inhabit is more than a little strange, if not very beautiful. But don’t take my word for it, if you’re in the London area be sure to take time to visit LaChapelle’s first British exhibition at The Barbican. Here’s a bit from the blurb:

This is the first British exhibition of cult American fashion and portrait photographer, David LaChapelle, one of the most exciting and innovative photographers of his generation. LaChapelle?s unique blend of surrealism and kitsch has changed the direction of fashion and portrait photography over the past decade.

In his work LaChapelle recreates the popular icons of the last twenty years. Madonna becomes an ethereal goddess, served by three white swans. Britney Spears is a glamorous Lolita in a bedroom full of stuffed toys. The exhibition also includes portraits of Alexander McQueen, Naomi Campbell and David Beckham. Regularly commissioned by leading style and fashion magazines, including I-D, The Face and Vanity Fair, LaChapelle shows us the famous and the fashionable as we have never seen them before.

This is what DB had to say about the picture above:

A simple trick but very effective. Cut out eyes from a magazine and pop them into place over ones’ own. Highly recommended for the morning after if you have a meeting with the boss and want to come over all bright-eyed and bushy..erm, tailed.

I would post a third nipple-tweaking picture that LaChapelle took of David, but I’m worried that the more fainthearted among you may not be able to cope with it. Hopefully it’s one of the shots included in The Barbican exhibition.

Whatever, I feel duty-bound to pass on the following warning from the organiser’s of The Barbican LaChapelle exhibition: Parents and teachers are asked to use their discretion as some of the images are of a sexual nature..”

The exhibition runs through to Monday 23rd December. See ya there! };-)