Hopping over the channel to indulge in all things gallic has never been a bad idea. Now it is absolutely vital, if you want to catch a glimpse of irony-obsessed hipster photographer David LaChapelle’s Retrospective at the Monnaie de Paris (a building normally used to show coins).
David LaChapelle, just in case you’ve forgotten, is responsible for everything from painting a naked Lil Kim with hundreds of tiny designer logos to getting Elton John to ride a leopard skin piano – as well as our personal favourite ‘Death by Burger’. His photography acts as a chronicle of the excesses and ersatz of celebrity culture, presenting the more sinister aspects of modern society in his loud and brash style.
More recently his subject matter has changed – moving away from fashion, luxury and decadence, and instead addressing issues like greed, moral decline and natural disasters. His exhibition features a mural depicting his interpretation of the apocalypse as well as images from his 2008 ‘Detail from decadence: The Insufficiency of all things attainable’
Regardless of his motivation, the style remains resolutely LaChapelle. We can’t wait to witness the work of a man who has both defined and reflected a generation.
