THE PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID LACHAPELLE WAS DISCOVERED BY ANDY WARHOL IN THE EARLY 80’S. SINCE THEN HE’S BEEN SHINING A LIGHT ON OUR TIME IN A VERY UNIQUE WAY. WE MET HIM IN PARIS WHERE HE HAS JUST INAUGURATED AN EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM “LA MONNAIE”.
The exhibition is great, is it your latest work ?
Well, I stopped working for fashion and celebrities about three years ago, so the pictures in this exhibition mostly come from the past two year.
You will never do advertising again ?
Yeah, now instead of taking pictures for magazines that wind-up in galleries I take pictures for exhibitions that wind-up in magazines. I’m moving on to a new step where I work in a more thoughtful way. But I never say never, I’d would do some ads occasionally, if the right client comes along, it keeps my studio alive.
Andy Warhol gave you your first chance to shoot for a magazine how was it ?
I was doing gallery shows in NYC at the 303 gallery and I would see Andy Warhol out in clubs, he was a famous artist and I was just a little kid but once I went to him and said “could I show you my photographs ?”. At the time I had a show, but he had the best magazine, “interview”, that was a very cool magazine, and I wanted to survive as a photographer, no one was buying photos in the 80’s.
There are sort of giant pop-ups in your retrospective in Paris, how did you conceive these shapes ?
The idea of the pop-ups comes from children’s books. Primarily I try to use the same methods they use in advertising, it’s less an approach of making art and more an idea of accessible communication. I find many contemporary arts not understandable because artists disregard communication, I care about my viewers, and that’s why I have an audience I think.
About your audience and fans, I’ve heard that the exhibition’s opening was a great party !
It was a little mad, and great to see so many people that interested in my work ! But I’m not a big fan of clubbing, it may seem like I enjoy parties a lot, but I’m more of a worker. The best part for me is being in the nature in Hawaï, coming up with the idea, making the set, doing the shooting, and then the finishing… the love for me really comes from creating.
How do you get your inspiration ?
I’ve got ideas in my mind and I try to make sense of them. I think the time we live in is very decadent, almost like ancient Rome before the Fall, and it’s this idea of decadence and crash that I try to sort out.
Do you find it more decadent now than in the 80’s ?
I think it’s not just a quick moment, progressively wealth became the most important thing in life, expressing your status in society through things that you own or wear is an aim. That’s obviously a signal of decadence to me. (A waiter brings a box of chocolate) : Haaa, chocolate… speaking of decadence !
This decadence, do you think it’s good, interesting or just destructive ?
I don’t think decadence is healthy but, I’m an optimistic ! I’d say we all have the potential for the best characteristic, like in “the deluge”, people know the end is coming and they’re helping each other instead of fighting each other of.
Do you see yourself more as a witness or a part of this decadent world ?
I think the paradox is being a part of the world, but also being conscious of the fact that it is a decadent time, and try to make sense of it. I’m not necessarily judging things ; I’m just recording it to clarify this confusing period. I think the best contemporary art is the one that gives an understanding of what the world is about.
It’s often said that your work is inspired by porn movies. Is it true ?
Not really, I photographed a lot of porn stars for magazines, because they’re stars too. But I’m just photographing any kind of stars from the biggest ones to the marginal ones. I’m not judging them, I empathize, and it’s a part of the world I can’t ignore.
One of your series is called “Jesus is my homeboy”, is it ?
I think that Jesus was a messenger, but today people worship the teacher instead of worshiping his teaching. One thing that I really much believe is that, atheists are more Christian than many fundamentalist Christians ! It’s very uncool to talk about Jesus in contemporary art or fashion, because it’s being ruined by fundamentalism.
In many pictures you are mixing religious signs with symbols of consumation such as stars or plastic surgery, what is your point in mixing these ?
I find that people have religious excesses in the same way that they can cry for Elvis or Madonna. My point is to be careful with how you can fall completely for things. I don’t think doing plastic surgery is a big deal, that’s just a step further than cutting your hair.
Are you a believer ?
I definitely have faith in the unseen, but I feel that there’s not one and only way to believe, people are individuals who all have their own messengers. My mother saw the proof that god exists through nature, the beauty of man and the beauty of Jesus, that part of my own philosophy.
And what are you up to now ?
Now I live and work in Hawaii, with my friends and crew, I’m shooting in the jungle a new series called Paradise, which would be A PRELUDE TO THE DELUGE.
INTERVIEW BY HANNAH KUGEL
