David LaChapelle: Earth Laughs in Flowers
The Lovers, 2008-2011, Chromogenic Print.
In “Earth Laughs In Flowers,” David LaChapelle appropriates the traditional Baroque still life painting in order to explore contemporary vanity, vice, the transience of earthly possessions and, ultimately, the fragility of humanity. Expectations of the still life are satisfied through the inclusion of symbolic objects such as fruit, flowers and skulls, but also upended by the insertion of everyday items such as cell phones, cigarette butts, balloons, Barbies, and a Starbuck’s iced coffee cup. This last effect is exacerbated by a tortuous disorderliness overwhelming the composition. The resulting photographs achieve a painterly, almost sculptural quality, thereby challenging the traditions of painting.
February 23 – March 24, 2012
Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 6pm
Fred Torres Collection
527 West 29th Street New York, NY 10001
www.fredtorres.com
