David LaChapelle & Reiner Opoku - Reinventing Yourself

Reiner Opoku is an international curator and contemporary art dealer who began working with artists in the early '80s. He has seen firsthand how artists make the world a more vibrant and innovative place, and in that spirit, introduces The Avant/Garde Diaries to artist David LaChapelle. David's work is widely recognizable with its loud colors, exposed skin, glittering bling, and phantasmagoric blend of fact and fiction. His glossy, ostentatious portraits of pop culture icons such as Madonna, Amanda Lepore, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson helped define his signature style. The portraits were born out of commercial work David made for Interview Magazine in the '90s and grew into an empire that took over the pages of fashion magazines worldwide. After a string of music videos, a feature film, and endless fourteen-hour workdays, David took a hiatus and escaped to Hawaii where he owns an organic farm surrounded by a state park. Back from paradise, David LaChapelle made his comeback to the fine art world with the exhibition Earth Laughs in Flowers.

Produced by Cookies For All New York / Creative direction by Cyrill Gutsch / Project management by Izabella Tzenkova / Filmed by Jason Lewis, David Königmann, Ryan Balas / Edited by Ryan Balas / Sound mixed by Klas Wikberg / Photos courtesy of David La Chappelle and Fred Torres Collaborations