Regardless of the subject matter shown in his images, LaChapelle understands that beauty can be used as a powerful tool for connection. It’s something he learned in his early days working alongside Andy Warhol in the ‘80s, who stressed the importance of making everyone “look good.” He also learned, through the rigors of the photography business, that it’s also important to simply keep your mouth shut. “Truthfully, that’s something you’ve got to do,” he affirms. In hindsight, it’s what makes him cherish a good shoot today, where he invites equal insight from his peers, such as his ongoing collaborative partnership with Academy Award Winner and costume designer, Colleen Atwood, who recently worked with LaChapelle on a project for Mercedes-Maybach.
Unveiled during the latest Salone del Mobile in Milan, the artist reinterpreted Maybach’s fleet of super vehicles in three of the 20th century’s most notable artistic genres: cubism, futurism and surrealism. Each set featured a range of world class athletes, gymnasts and Olympians performing incredible motions across euphoric installations specially designed by LaChapelle and his team. “They gave me a lot of freedom,” LaChapelle noted of the partnership, which bridged a gap between the ancient Pyramids of Giza and futurism — despite their not actually being a connection between the two.
He notes that the inspiration for this project stemmed from a shoot he did for Condé Nast Traveller early in his career, where alongside famed Egytologist Anthony West, LaChapelle marveled at the mysteries behind the creation of the Great Pyramids. “We’re taught that the pyramids were from a primitive culture when we were in school, yet we don’t even know how they were built today. It was a much more advanced culture than we can even wrap our heads around.”
