David LaChapelle and Amanda Lepore

＜English＞

Translated by faiyaque

In my last post I wrote a bit about David LaChapelle’s retrospective at the Musée de la Monnaie in Paris, so this time I wanted to share a little more about some of his works visible at the exhibition and the museum boutique.

First of all, when speaking of David LaChapelle, one must also recognize his muse, the world famous MtF transsexual superstar, Amanda Lepore.

Based in NYC, model, singer, entertainer, and fashion icon, Lepore has been a long-time friend of LaChapelle's and regularly appears in his work.

In a 2003 interview with the “New York Observer”, LaChapelle explained that he felt transsexuals are often misunderstood, and said, “They really have strong desires and they follow them through rather than going into a closet.”

LaChapelle's admiration of Amanda Lepore has led him to take countless photographs of her and, naturally, many of them were on display at the retrospective. In fact, the portrait of her as Marilyn Monroe was chosen for use as the exhibition's main poster.

※Amanda Lepore as Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe. This poster hangs at the boutique entrance. Amanda’s ravishingly queer come-hither look is pure sexy!

This portrait pays homage to Andy Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe”, but gives it a queer twist by putting Amanda in the place of the glamorous 1950’s American bombshell. Indeed, LaChapelle once exclaimed, “Amanda Lepore is the Marilyn Monroe of transsexuals!”

Also on display in the same series was a portrait of “Elizabeth Taylor”, another 1950’s icon famed for setting men’s hearts on fire. This portrait was so popular that the poster was sold out when I went.

※The glamorous Amanda Lepore in a witty yet daring photograph by LaChapelle.

Also, in a March 2009 interview with France’s most notable gay culture magazine, “Têtu”, LaChapelle says “I have always admired the different forms of beauty in the world. I like people whose beauty is different (from the usual definitions), like people who are older or heavier. LaChapelle also shared that he is currently working on a new series titled “Heaven” with Amanda Lepore, and they wrote a song together. Can't wait until its release!

I’ll be back with another post on some more of LaChapelle’s work!

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