David Lachapelle: Auguries of Innocence

I was never inspired by David LaChapelle’s work. His trailer trash chic and shrill aesthetics rather offended me. I am more drawn to the Jürgen Teller camp of “realism” maybe with a shot of narrative like Phillip Lorca di Corcia until I get bored and take refuge in some glam in the likes of Alas and Piggott. (oops, all Dubya)
– But this show was the only highlight in an otherwise dull Chelsea Saturday afternoon. Simplistic yes, but that’s what Pop is all about. Nobody else seems to share my sentiments:

What makes LaChapelle's outing at Shafrazi particularly offensive, though, is that he's staking a claim on satire without offering an alternative behind the tart, blunt, and rather simplistic parables. He has a good line in exposing total vulgarity and total wastefulness because he's not simply engaged in total vulgarity and total wastefulness—he's also very passionate about it. So this is not critique, not at all. It's celebration, and I have no idea why we're celebrating. Thanks for nothing, Tony Shafrazi.

-Bones