LUST for LIFE

French photographer Philippe Shangti's world of lush, sometimes lurid seenes isn't always what it seems

- JARED PAUL STERN

French photographer Philippe Shangti was born in Toulouse in 1983 but moved to St-Tropez in the early 2000s, and the seaside resort's legendary, stylish excess had a profound influence on the future art world star. He has even referred to St-Tropez as his muse. "Coming from a humble background and having a very wholesome nature, his new life on the French Riviera was a shock." as his official bio puts it. "All the debauchery and opulence of parties and luxury inspired the artist's initial creations." And they continue to do so. This can be seen most prominently in his epic series of works dedicated to other top sybaritic destinations around the world, as well as the seven deadly sins. "Philippe expresses his vision of the sins through different photographic artworks, both bold and provocative, that have ultimately given birth to his futuristic and out-of-standard artistic concepts in settings as sensual as they are refined."

There is no shortage of beautiful women, or cameos by brands including Armand de Brignac, Cohiba, Fendi, and Rolex in the large-scale works, which he recently showed during Art Basel Miami, his first appearance at the annual extravaganza (he has also exhibited at the Venice Biennale, among others). We recently spoke to the photographic provocateur about his extraordinary oeuvre.

Is photography your favorite mediums, What draws you to it?

Photography is indeed my favorite medium because it allows me to capture reality through my own lens. What attracts me is its ability to immortalize a moment while giving me the freedom to transform it into a surreal or critical vision of our society. I also use other mediums, such as sculpture or tag, or even video.