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Wk 5 Contrasting and complementing Colour Artists

David LaChapelle

An American fine arts photographer, film and video director.  He is noted as having an "exceptional talent in combining a unique hyper-realistic aesthetic with profound social messages". (Davidlachapelle)

During the 80's he caught the eye of renowned leader of pop art Andy Warhol.  He was offered a job working for Andy Warhol  at interview magazine.  Where he shot his interpretation of celebrities for over 15 years.  David speaks of using beauty to draw the viewer in, this is evident in his use of beautiful models and colours  which are usually strong vibrant and placed in the image to attract the eye.

Title: The rape of Africa 2009 Artist: David LaChapelle 
In this image David LaChapelle uses contrast colours  of red, blue and yellows as well as complimentary colours such as orange and blue as well as violet and yellow.  The colours work to create harmony.  This piece uses colour to reinforce the theme of contrast.  The reds are the most dominant colour in this scene, it keeps my eye moving around the photo long enough to see the finer details of this piece.

I'm not a big fan of clutter, which David LaChapelle has a lot of in his photos.  However once i started to listen to what he's about and the concepts behind his work it really takes on a different way of looking at his work.

I didn't really know too much about David LaChapelle other than the Kardashian family Christmas card he shot last year.  He's a really interesting artist and i've enjoyed listening to his interviews and viewing his work online.  He has a great way of using colours to portray a message.

Mario Testino

A Peruvian fashion photographer known for his portraitures features in magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair.  Chosen in 1997 as Diana, Princess of Wales photoshoot for Vanity Fair he has been employed by the British royal family ever since.  He is an iconic figure in the fashion business and have produced some of the defining images of an era.


 
Title: Carmen Kass 2012 Artist: Mario Testino

I love the colours in this photo, the colours on the model is segmented and add a boost of colour from such a small infusion.  These vibrant colours are contrast colours which are layered (just as the clothing on the model is) in front of the blue of the sky.  To add more depth Mario Testino uses fore, mid and background as well as a low angle shot capturing two thirds of the sky background. 

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