Fellini with a camera: visual parables by David LaChapelle

Today, 10:00

American photographer David LaChapelle is often compared to Federico Fellini—and this comparison is no coincidence. Just as the great Italian director revolutionized the world of cinema, so too did LaChapelle revolutionize photography. He created iconic pop culture archetypes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His signature style is a hyperrealistic, almost baroque aesthetic combined with sharp, and sometimes merciless, social messages.

"Do whatever you want"

David LaChapelle was born in 1963 in Hartford, Connecticut. He studied at the North Carolina School of Fine Arts and fled to New York City at age 15. There, he simultaneously enrolled in the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Leonardo DiCaprio. 1996

At 17, LaChapelle became a staff photographer for the legendary Interview magazine, owned and edited by Andy Warhol himself. David still recalls the first advice he received from the king of pop art:

"Do whatever you want. Just make sure everyone looks beautiful."

Sandra Bullock. 1999

LaChapelle has remained true to this principle his entire life. While other photographers try to "reveal the real person behind the celebrity mask" during portrait shoots, David does just the opposite. He is interested in the masks, the trappings of fame, the glitz, and how all of this appears in the frame.

Angelina Jolie with a white horse, 2001

A Master's Handwriting

Over his long career, LaChapelle has photographed hundreds of stars of film, pop and rock music, sports, and even politics. He designed album covers and shot music videos, but his primary field always remained commercial and advertising photography.

Anna Kournikova

He instantly became one of the most sought-after photographers in advertising, largely due to his love of striking metaphors. LaChapelle freely juggles religious and moral symbols, generously quoting the great masters of painting and sculpture. This cocktail of baroque, kitsch, and sharp social satire became his calling card.

Archangel Michael, 1990

Britney Spears

Intervention. From the series "Jesus is My Buddy"

The Last Supper. From the "Jesus Is My Pal" series, 2003

Paris Hilton, Hollywood, 2000

Gisele Bündchen in a see-through coat, 2000 Year

Gillian Anderson

Drew Barrymore, 1998

Liza Minnelli for the album Results 1989

Sarah Jessica Parker, 1999

Whitney Houston, 2001

Uma Thurman, 1997 year

Shakira

Eminem, 1999

Jude Law, 1996 Year

Rose McGowan, 1999

Cher, 1996

LaChapelle's work is simultaneously provocative and magnetically attractive, brimming with symbolism, irony, and sheer visual opulence. He's more than just a photographer—he's the creator of vibrant contemporary parables about fame, sin, beauty, and unbridled consumerism.

What do you think of this overtly bright and provocative style? Are you inspired, shocked, or perhaps repulsed? Share your impressions in the comments!