Fame Itself
Jan. 25, 2019
By: John Martin Tilley
The Egyptians had Osiris, Isis, Anubis. The Greeks had the gods of Olympus. The Holy Roman Empire had the saints. The Byzantines had their icons.
Today we have celebrities.
Fame is a cult we all want into—the Kool-aid is ready, available and sweet, but beware the toxic burn of deification.
David LaChapelle understands the modern conundrum of fame like no other photographer. Carrying the torch of Andy Warhol’s acidic color palette and cultivated curiosity about the modern phenomenon of celebrity, LaChapelle’s lens lays his subjects bare while simultaneously venerating them as forces of nature.
‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’ will be on view at Staley-Wise Gallery through March 2.
All images © David LaChapelle, courtesy of Staley-Wise Gallery.
Lead image: ‘Tupac Shakur: To Begin Again (I), 1996.’
Source: Office