Week 6 - Hyperrealism
Artist: David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is an artist whose work spans across many different forms of art that covers a wide range of different topics / ideas. In his photographic series 'Jesus Is My Homeboy' 2003, he uses appropriations and hyperreal (satirical) techniques to challenge immorality in the 21st century. An image in this series that demonstrates this clearly is 'Last Supper' (right).
This photo depicts a large group of people all representing different ethnicities and various cultural backgrounds, sitting together in a small room around a table eating, drinking and socialising. Jesus sits in the middle of them, with a halo of light around his head. This is a direct appropriation of Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'.
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David LaChapelle uses appropriation and hyperreal techniques to challenge immorality in this appropriated photograph and is shown through various different aspects of it. The use of appropriation in 'The Last Supper' allows LaChapelle to criticise, ridicule and challenge the morality of certain issues in the photograph such as the clash of cultures or religions. He does this by placing Jesus in the middle with his hands out and open, representing peace and reason. Another technique LaChapelle utilises it hyperrealism, which is done through the unnatural bright light shining behind/around Jesus' head. The purpose of this is to draw the eye (the attention) of the audience towards him and make him the centre that the image is based around.
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Through these various photographic and highly satirical techniques, LaChapelle challenges immorality with his photographic series 'Jesus Is My Homeboy' 2003.

David LaChapelle - Jesus Is My Homeboy, 'Last Supper'

Fires in Jervis Bay - David LaChapelle Appropriation