Eng Yommanak
David LeChapell
David LaChapelle is an American commercial photographer who challenges immorality in the 21st century. He challenges society by using appropriations and hyper-real techniques. His popular work called Jesus home boy does just that. One of the photographs in his series shows a woman getting arrested by police officers. It is clearly evident that the woman is a prostitute which is considered to be an immoral subject in today's society and always has been. This is an appropriation that comes from a popular scene in the bible where a woman is committed adultery in which Jesus comes to interfere and says whoever has not sinned can throw the first stone. Prostitution is considered immoral because it tends to involve coercion. Most prostitutes became one not because of their own choice but because they had to. They are driven to the profession by desperation and lack of other opportunities of employments.
My understanding of hyper-real photographs is that the photo looks so real when really it should not be in a place like this. The photographs I have looked through from David LaChapelle's and other photographers have shown me this juxtaposition of reality and unreality. Things that seem so real but yet so out of place and unrealistic. In my photograph I have applied my understanding of hyper-real images. I have myself sitting on a pink octopus chair with a white mask on my face. The chair itself brings out a vibrant pink colour making the photo pop while being in such an unordinary place and being sat on by a normal person.