Heaven to Hell

by David Lachapelle

LaChapelle Heaven to Hell is the long-awaited third volume in an exhilarating trilogy that began with LaChapelle Land (1996) and continued with the infamous Hotel LaChapelle (1999). Packed with astonishing, color-saturated, and provocative images, those titles both became instant collector's items and have since gone through multiple printings. Featuring almost twice as many images as its predecessors, LaChapelle Heaven to Hell is an explosive compilation of new work by the visionary photographer. Since the publication of Hotel LaChapelle, the strength of LaChapelle's work lies in its ability to focus the lens of celebrity and fashion toward more pressing issues of societal concern. LaChapelle's images ? of the most famous faces on the planet, and marginalized figures like transsexual Amanda Lepore or the cast of his critically acclaimed social documentary Rize ? call into question our relationship with gender, glamour, and status. Using his trademark baroque excess, LaChapelle inverts the consumption he appears to celebrate, pointing instead to apocalyptic consequences for humanity itself. While referencing and acknowledging diverse sources such as the Renaissance, art history, cinema, The Bible, pornography, and the new globalized pop culture, LaChapelle has fashioned a deeply personal and epoch-defining visual language that holds up a mirror to our times. Sumptuously packaged in the trilogy's boxed hardcover format, LaChapelle Heaven to Hell is a must-have for anyone interested in contemporary photography. It is also keenly priced, especially for those who have coveted TASCHEN's limited edition, LaChapelle, Artists & Prostitutes. The artist: Not yet out of high school, DavidLaChapelle was offered his first professional job by Andy Warhol to shoot for Interview magazine. His photography has been showcased in numerous galleries and museums, including Tony Shafrazi Gallery and Deitch Projects in New York, the Fahey-Klein Gallery in California, Camerawork in Germany, Sozzani and Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Italy. His unfettered images of celebrity and contemporary pop culture have appeared on and between the covers of magazines such as Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stoneand i-D. LaChapelle has also directed music videos for artists such as Moby, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and The Vines. His burgeoning interest in film saw him make the short documentary Krumped, an award-winner at Sundance from which he developed RIZE, the feature film released worldwide in 2005 to huge critical acclaim. American Photo recently ranked him as one of the top ten ?Most Important People in Photography.?

Genres: Photography, Art, Coffee Table Books, Nonfiction, Art and Photography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2006

About the author

David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique and often humorous style.

Reviews

[Lupita Villalobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gran libro para coleccionistas y fan del arte de David Lachapelle.

[Davide Frezzato · Rating 5 out of 5]

David LaChapelle si è imposto come maestro.
Il suo stile saturo di colori e di suppellettili crea un modo magico di quotidianità.
Divertenti i ritratti che riescono a carpire l’immagine intima del ritratto e non solo la sua figura.
La serie dedicata a Gesù ha del geniale.
LaChapelle osa e non ha paura di farlo; ciò lo mette tra i grandi artisti ispirati...

[jesse kamande · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the greatest

[Thomas Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this recently at the Taschen bookstore in Manhattan for only 40 bucks. I've enjoyed having it around to flip through so much that now I want to start buying art books monthly, and checking out more of my print books from the library.
David LaChapelle is amazing eye candy. I want more.
I'm going to go nuts at the Taschen warehouse sale in January:

Warehouse Sale at TASCHEN New York
January 23, 2009 - January 25, 2009
TASCHEN New York, 107 Greene Street, NY 10012, United States

Attention TASCHEN fans! The Warehouse Sale is fast approaching. Thousands of slightly damaged and display copies will be on sale at bargain basement prices, 50-75% off for 3 days only - in New York: Friday, January 23rd and Saturday, January 24th from 11 am to 8 pm and Sunday, January 25th from 12 to 8 pm.

[Tidar Rachmadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book without buying it, I only had great time enjoying it at bookstore. Quite expensive for me :p But I can tell you that its cover stole my attention. The photographs inside the book are beyond amazing. We could understand LaChapelle though his works. All the fabulous colors, models, style, lighting, and poses are captured nicely. Everytime I flip page to page always starts with WOW, OMG, DAMN, SHIT etc. I think it explains how avant-garde LaChapelle is.

[Rene Schlegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

What shall I call it... PopPorn? Very well shot, very well lit, everything as kitschy as a lollipop pre-licked by a thousand different tongues and achieving it. Is it a pleasure to look at all of this? Would we hang this on our walls? Maybe not. But LaChapelle is very different and very good at being different and out-there wacky.

[Martin Pepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book of images that most photographers will love but there is no text. Strictly pictures. Given to me for helping my fellow photographer friend move. Well worth the effort and quite a surprise.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, not really a reading book. Well, not a reading book at all. All pictures, but the man is absolutely nuts, and I love his photography!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

LaChapelle describes himself as the most famous photographer . . . . I'm not so sure of that, but this is an interesting collection of work, I'll grant him that.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

See how it's done by one of the best.

[Betwixt Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, filled with brilliant photos.