David LaChapelle

American photographer and video artist David LaChapelle is renowned for his hyperrealistic, highly saturated, and often controversial editorial portraits of celebrities. Over the course of his prolific career, he’s shot many of pop culture’s most recognizable faces—from Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, and Madonna to Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—in a humorous style that combines elements of Surrealism and Pop art. In addition to shooting for publications such as Rolling Stone and Interview, LaChapelle has maintained a fine-art photography practice. Much of his work has explored themes of mortality and transcendence, with overt references to art history and religious iconography. He has featured in shows at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Musée d'Orsay, and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., among other institutions. At auction, LaChapelle’s photographs have sold for six-figure prices.