David LaChapelle
Annunciation , 2019
Pigment print
50x77 inches
In Annunciation, David LaChapelle reinterprets one of the most sacred moments in Christian iconography, the divine message delivered to Mary, with a sense of intimacy, reverence, and contemporary relevance. The image features Guetcha, LaChapelle’s longtime muse, portraying the Virgin Mary at the moment of revelation. Her posture is composed and contemplative, conveying both awe and spiritual clarity.
The scene is set on the floor of a small chapel that LaChapelle built himself in rural Hawai‘i, a personal sanctuary devoted to reflection, meditation, and spiritual inquiry. Visible through the chapel windows is the surrounding lush jungle, a reminder of the natural world’s presence and vitality beyond the quiet interior. The setting blurs the line between the sacred and the earthly, allowing the viewer to feel both grounded and elevated.
In a signature gesture of handcrafted symbolism, the glowing halo behind Mary’s head was created using a strand of Christmas lights affixed to a string and spun in motion during the exposure. This analog technique lends the image a mystical, otherworldly quality without relying on digital effects, emphasizing the beauty of creation through simple means.
With Annunciation, LaChapelle invites us to witness not only a reinterpretation of a biblical event, but a universal moment of awakening: when the soul is called, and chooses to respond with grace.
The scene is set on the floor of a small chapel that LaChapelle built himself in rural Hawai‘i, a personal sanctuary devoted to reflection, meditation, and spiritual inquiry. Visible through the chapel windows is the surrounding lush jungle, a reminder of the natural world’s presence and vitality beyond the quiet interior. The setting blurs the line between the sacred and the earthly, allowing the viewer to feel both grounded and elevated.
In a signature gesture of handcrafted symbolism, the glowing halo behind Mary’s head was created using a strand of Christmas lights affixed to a string and spun in motion during the exposure. This analog technique lends the image a mystical, otherworldly quality without relying on digital effects, emphasizing the beauty of creation through simple means.
With Annunciation, LaChapelle invites us to witness not only a reinterpretation of a biblical event, but a universal moment of awakening: when the soul is called, and chooses to respond with grace.
DLC001/2025