David LaChapelle began taking photographs in high school. At the age of 18, at the end of the 70s, he moved from North Carolina to New York's Lower East Side. After a chance meeting with Andy Warhol, he began shooting for Interview, the place he calls "art school."

Twenty years later David LaChapelle is still here. He is a product of 70s youth, sub-divisions, suburbia, pot-smoking, and a mom with a knack for appropriating a fantasy life onto film. The influence is apparent. LaChapelle celebrates the artificial, he even makes it beautiful.

David LaChapelle's work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. His publications include two books: LaChapelle Land and Hotel LaChapelle.