The days of photographing half naked celebrities riding bicycles, Britney spears selling hotdogs or first ever gay kissing campaigns are over. Since visionary photographer David LaChapelle moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui to live on an organic farm and retreat, the theme of his work has shifted accordingly. Today we look at his latest series compiled in a book, Land Scape: his view of today’s petroleum-reliant consumer culture.

The days of photographing half naked celebrities riding bicycles, Britney spears selling hotdogs or first ever gay kissing campaigns are over. Since visionary photographer David LaChapelle moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui to live on an organic farm and retreat, the theme of his work has shifted accordingly. Today we look at his latest series compiled in a book, Land Scape: his view of today’s petroleum-reliant consumer culture.

‘In my mind,’ he says according to The Telegraph, ‘I saw glowing temples in the Maui rainforest – small illuminated structures. All I had to do then was build and photograph them.’

And how exactly did he create these compositions? It has taken him two years. Two years in which he built with the help of his team dozens of miniature versions of oil refineries and petrol stations in the Maui jungle, constructed with tea canisters, hair curlers, drinking straws, egg cartons and other disposable elements.

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Courtesy of the artist and Paul Kasmin Gallery © 2013 David LaChapelle Studio.

Perfection is not the aim here, as has never been the aim in LaChapelle’s work. It’s more about highlighting the shabby, the cheap; representing ‘the absurdity of our attempts to harness nature’. However, LaChappelle is known for being passionate about beauty, whatever the message. In his book Land Scape, the real surprise is that his waste creations are rich in beauty and highly impactful.

This time, LaChapelle’s candy coloured Kaleidoscope focuses on ecology, waste and sustainability. And he certainly makes his point.

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Image source: http://www.imagesource.com/blog

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Courtesy of the artist and Paul Kasmin Gallery © 2013 David LaChapelle Studio.

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Courtesy of the artist and Paul Kasmin Gallery © 2013 David LaChapelle Studio.

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Courtesy of the artist and Paul Kasmin Gallery. © 2013 David LaChapelle Studio.

See more images of the book Land Scape at www.davidlachapelle.com.