Portraits - Artist/Photographer Research: Tim Walker

Bio

Tim Walker is a London-based fashion photographer known for his sharp, imaginative editorial images, which seamlessly blend fine art, fantasy and haute couture. Inspired heavily by visual memories of the British countryside in which he grew up and illustrated children's books (Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak, to name a few) also from his childhood, he often works with creative director Shona Heath on elaborate, carefully thought-out set design. With some calling him the Tim Burton of the photography world due to both artists' appreciation of dark sides to fairytales, recent discourse on whether he is a fashion or fine art photographer has grown, though I believe the classification is unnecessary altogether. Employing detailed and unique use of mise-en-scene (set design, props, styling, etc.) with dynamic, varied lighting tailored to the shoot, he constructs stories in his photos, building characters out of his models by thoroughly talking through his concepts with them.

Fashion designer Sarah Burton feels that he "uses history to inform the present" and that his images capture the spell-binding romance of the past. Seasoned stylist Grace Coddington shares that up until recently, staff working for American fashion publications didn't understand or appreciate Walker's British romantic, humorous approach to photography. He claims to admire the "infinite variety of beauty", shown through his diverse casting and understanding of representation. In my opinion, he manages to capture a model's raw human essence and elevate it to a level of high art, where it unravels in unearthly, bizarre way - as he puts it, "communicating encounters with the sublime." There is also a strong sense of individuality that bursts through his portraits, which is appropriate given that he finds importance in mirrored meanings that are personal both to him and his models/sitters.

Walker goes on to express how darkness is beautiful, a concept that I personally resonate with and am planning to zero in on for my portraiture. "It's the dark that allows the moon to glow." He continues: "Black is beauty. The black swan, the octopus's inky escape, black patent leather, the darkness of the disco, the black narcissus." In his view, fairytales deal with light and dark as equal values, which is why they are useful starting points for art. He also treats photographs as a "manifestation of one's psyche", implying that he is deeply involved in his own projects.

In his formative years, Walker spent a lot of time drawing, doodling and studying visual art in libraries, initially intimidated by the technical aspects of photography but eventually warming up to it. He would spend his early twenties photographing the people around him, often shooting with a direction inspired by literature. Shortly after a work experience year archiving Cecil Beaton (inspired by his DIY "articulation of beauty") followed by attending and graduating Exeter College of Art, he worked directly under Richard Avedon as a full-time assistant, where he cut his teeth in the industry and gained insight into how studio photography is done. Upon returning home, he shot portraits and documentary photos for various British newspapers and magazines. Eventually, he branched his skills out internationally, working for Vogue Italia as well as the British and American editions. His work is held in the V&A among several other established museums and he has collected four creative awards so far in the 21st century.

Though Walker's surreal, whimsical aesthetic could seem like a far cry from Avedon's refined, severe, minimalistic approach, Walker admits to using learned techniques in order to bring vibrant performances out from his models. By this, he means he would rather verbally paint an abstract picture for the models to act out than meticulously direct and pose them. An example he frequently uses is Avedon telling models something like, "You're crows sitting on a branch, fighting over a worm in the early morning." In this way, he allows the models to more freely interpret their role in the photos taken, describing it as more of a "dance". I would like to try communicating playfully and interpretively in his unconventional directorial style. His dedication to otherwordly, meticulously crafted set design is done purposefully to aid this; rather than compositing scenic elements in post-production, Walker believes that the models need to truly "feel it" during the shoot itself for ideal results, which is how the real "essence" of the photo is recorded.

Additionally, with Avedon being Vogue's staff photographer for 24 years, the way in which he worked and the final 'Vogue' look of his photos gave Walker much of the direction he ran with at the beginning of his career. Avedon liked to capture expression, shape and movement, seen in the selected photos below, which Walker takes to the extreme.

'Dovima with Elephants' in Harper's Bazaar, 1955 and Audrey Hepburn in Harper's Bazaar, 1962.

Links to Walker's work through humour, grandeur and excitement.

Chosen images

Tilda Swinton, 'Mr. James's Daydream' in W Magazine, 2012.

Immediately upon viewing this portrait, one can appreciate its ethereal qualities given by the pastel colour palette, soft focus, angelic composition and natural iconography. I love how the concept of this was executed, and how it fits into Walker's wider interest in fairytale, dream-like narratives. In my opinion, this image conveys the sense of wonder, magic and enchantment that characterises Walker within the world of fashion photography. I would like to try and evoke a similar refreshingly graceful sensibility in some of my future portraiture. Elfin-featured actress Tilda Swinton wears a frilly, princess-like dress designed by Francesco Scognamiglio and poses as if to evoke a faerie or similar delicate elemental spirit basking in sunlight, framed by equally fragile prop flowers and sculpted/mannequin hands, suggesting femininity. This staging exquisitely works well with the high-key overhead lighting, bringing an elegance to the photo. This portrait is part of wider collaborative series between Walker and Swinton inspired by Edward James, lifelong patron and collector of surrealist art. In 1945, James created an elaborate sculpture parks replete with surreal structures and buildings on what's now the legendary Las Pozas estate in a Mexican mountain rainforest near Xilitla. One can see the clear surrealist references in this portrait. The backdrop is a fairly simple, teal-toned landscape (seen in much of Dali's work) with a blue, cloudy sky (popular in Magritte's paintings).

L'utopie (Utopia) by Rene Magritte and La Grande Guerre by Rene Magritte.
Showing clear parallels with cloud and flower motifs.

This is seen again in 2014 where the two collaborate again in an homage to L'avenir des Statues (The Future of Statues) by Rene Magritte.

Carey Mulligan in W Magazine, 2019.

I enjoy the contrast of this image in terms of its simple, reserved colour palette and more elaborate behind-the-scenes setup. Walker uses a classic, trendy milk bath to frame and obscure Mulligan as she poses in a surreal, austere manner, her clothes matching the liquid colour and her eyes darkly outlined with make-up. Her face emerges cleanly from the "background", but the image is slightly assymetrical through directional lighting creating shadows and the askew floating costume, giving the portrait a facetious visual spin against the sterile plane on which it rests. I have wanted to shoot bath portraits for a while, and it made me happy to discover that Walker had an example of it - I think that with more elements of darkness, this could be a strong concept to have in my portfolio.

Isaac Neal in The Garden of Earthly Delights, 2017.

This portrait is a great example of how Walker is consistently inspired by fine art and traditional painted works. It is part of a larger series inspired directly by a work he saw as a child that both fascinated and terrified him, titled 'The Garden of Earthly Delights', a Renaissance era triptych painting by Hieronymus Bosch (arguably an early surrealist, further tying into Walker's muses). It depicts the classic Biblical creationist narrative, laid out on a landscape of tempting indulgence and ending with a warning of eternal damnation - in his photo book, it is described as a "playground of corruption". Though Walker himself is not known to be religious, the sheer saturation of symbolism in the painting overwhelmed him with an urge to pay homage. These images make the viewer question what is light and dark in human nature, and this photo in particular has some evident Adam and Eve iconography with the apples and the snake. The strategically placed mirror gives us a reflection and an insight into another character in the room, relating to ideas about inner truths, desires, motivations and inhibitions. Colour-wise, the palette is carefully controlled, highlighting the pale skins, cold walls, dull browns and vibrant 'temptations' (forbidden fruit and snake) laying on the table. Walker believes deeply in the emotional charge of colour, and the profound effects it can have in visual art - "red is passion and blood, green is paradise." In terms of casting, he looked for "ancient faces" that "look like they've come from a painting". Models have expressed in interviews that they feel a sense of escapism and immersion when shooting with Walker, which could be illustrated here (and in the many other accompanying photos) by the fantastical realm he created. This sort of opinion that the models seemingly share further exemplifies how Walker tries to let them absorb their surroundings and act out their character, trusting that this process will deliver the most interesting and organic results.

"It has been an important aspect of his work that the elements within each image are material objects for his models to interact with, their engagement with the photographic sets then becomes something completely real within all that is unreal." (Joy, 2019)

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

The medieval painter's influence can be seen through the prevalence of dream-like environments and vivid, dynamic populations, giving the viewer a glimpse through a sort of portal into another world.

He mentions that he searches for a "vitality" in his work, to go beyond merely copying or emulating the art that so deeply inspires him, which I believe he's achieved using everything he is known for. It goes to show that no matter how grand one's vision, with the right collaborators and concentrated passion, one can produce even greater creative output than they imagined. This image, along with the wider body of work, encapsulates not only his intricate approach and exploration of layered meanings, but also the value of constructing images with a contemporary eye. I would also like to experiment with using a large mirror in my own portraits, as it could be a powerful vehicle for illuminating a different angle to the subject, both literally in the visual sense and figuratively in the personal, metaphorical sense. However, I would not do nude photography despite my respect for this work, as whilst I can understand the celebration of life's joys and sexual liberty captured both in this series and the original Bosch triptych, it isn't my area of interest.

Ling Ling in Vogue Italia, 2018.

This photo was inspired by a French 18th century snuffbox that Walker discovered on his extensive "odyssey" through the V&A museum's vast collections. This journey for inspiration would go on to spawn 10 highly theatrical photoshoots, collected in an exhibition and book titled "Wonderful Things", taken from archeologist Howard Carter's quote upon discovering Tutankhamun's tomb; "when Lord Carnarvon . . . inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words, 'Yes, wonderful things'." Having deeply researched the entire body of work, it is now a personal ambition to so creatively interpret art into ideas for photoshoots and portraiture. The results from this specific photoshoot were titled Lil' Dragon, and utilise alternative/unconventional techniques such as UV lighting to convey the three-dimensional qualities of the ornate decorative designs on the snuffbox, which challenged the make-up artist on set.

The final result is glamorous, drag-inspired and echoes the strong traditional Chinese influence of the snuffbox. Regarding my chosen portrait from this shoot, the UV clearly gives the model's face a violet sheen which, when coupled with the pearlescent make-up and motion blur from intentional camera movement, gives her a very ephemeral look. This transcience helps emulate the historical source material, and I would like to achieve similar iridescent highlights in my portraiture to bring out this almost alien imagery. To further punctuate the image with regal eccentricity, James Merry (mask artist for Bjork) designed a wire mask to add mystery and grace to the model's immaculately painted face.

Additional portrait: Cillilian Murphy in 'Grief is the Thing with Feathers', 2017.

This portrait is in stark contrast to the first shown, capturing a much darker mood, with Murphy melting into the black backdrop. His hair styling, artistic makeup and costume all bring out the thematic depression explored in 'Grief is the Thing with Feathers', an award-winning novel by Max Porter. Murphy sits for this promotional portrait for a play adaptation of which he is the star, a widowing father. I decided to include this image because it ties together the notions of one's model embodying a character during the shoot, exuding their own inner humanity, finding beauty in darkness and feeling a certain gravity that seems determined to keep you immobile, drowning in your own emotions.

I grew so invested in researching Tim Walker that I intend to write a follow-up post next week, giving commentary on other works that creatively stimulate me, as well as exploring his entrenched love of storybooks.

Bibliography

Walker, T. et al. (2019) Shoot for the Moon. London: Thames & Hudson.

Walker, T., Brown, S. (2019) Tim Walker: Wonderful Things. London: V&A Publishing.

Lewis, T. (2019) 'Tim Walker: 'There's an extremity to my interest in beauty'' In: The Guardian 15/09/2019. At: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/sep/15/tim-walker-fashion-photographer-interview-theres-an-extremity-to-my-interest-in-beauty (Accessed 05/11/2020).

Craven, J. (2008) 'Richard Avedon' In: British Vogue 22/04/2008. At: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/richard-avedon-biography (Accessed 05/11/2020).

Solway, D. (2013) 'Stranger than Paradise' In: W Magazine 01/05/2013. At: https://www.wmagazine.com/story/tilda-swinton-tim-walker-las-pozas-cover-story/ (Accessed 05/11/2020).

Poynor, R. (2015) 'Exposure: Tilda Swinton by Tim Walker' In: Design Observer 27/10/2015. At: https://designobserver.com/feature/exposure-tilda-swinton-by-tim-walker/39078 (Accessed 05/11/2020).

Working with Tim Walker: models (2019) [Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5lzpHgF1ac&ab_channel=VictoriaandAlbertMuseum (Accessed 05/11/2020).

Working with Tim Walker: set design (2019) [Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nJiWeYBnIQ&ab_channel=VictoriaandAlbertMuseum (Accessed 06/11/2020).

Tim Walker: Illustrious Fashion Photographer Exclusive Interview | Art of Style | M2M Original (2018) [Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivz1PGO_1JE&ab_channel=M2M%E2%80%93MadeToMeasure (Accessed 06/11/2020).

Joy, A. (2019) 'The Garden of Earthly Delights: Hieronymus Bosch & Fashion Photographer Tim Walker' In: Beautiful Bizarre' 24/04/2019. At: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/04/24/the-garden-of-earthly-delights-hieronymus-bosch-fashion-photographer-tim-walker/ (Accessed 06/11/2020).

Walker, T., Muir, R. (2017) The Garden of Earthly Delights. At: https://www.timwalkerphotography.com/books/the-garden-of-earthly-delights#12 (Accessed 06/11/2020).

Gallaher, R. (2016) Tim Walker Salutes Hieronymous Bosch in Love Magazine Spring 2016. At: https://fashionindustrybroadcast.com/2016/03/21/tim-walker-pays-tribute-hieronymous-bosch-love-magazine-spring-2016/ (Accessed 06/11/2020).

i-Cons: Tim Walker (2017) [Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVNAcXgrOYo&ab_channel=i-D (Accessed 07/11/2020).
Tim Walker: Wonderful Things (2019) [Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDNK5T1e4M0&ab_channel=VictoriaandAlbertMuseum (Accessed 07/11/2020).

Churchman, F. (2019) Tim Walker. At: https://artreview.com/ar-december-2019-feature-tim-walker/ (Accessed 07/11/2020).
Smith, K. (2012) Interview with Tim Walker. At: https://www.thewhitereview.org/feature/interview-with-tim-walker/ (Accessed 07/11/2020).
Smyth, D. (2019) 'Tim Walker: Shoot for the Moon' In: British Journal of Photography  12/09/2020. At: https://www.bjp-online.com/2019/09/tim-walker-shoot-for-the-moon/ (Accessed 08/11/2020).
MENDO (2019) Tim Walker: Shifting from fashion to art. At: https://www.mendo.nl/journal/stories/tim-walker-shifting-from-fashion-to-art/ (Accessed 08/11/2020).
Ashby, C. (2019) 'Through the Looking Glass: Tim Walker's Fantastical Visions' In: Frieze 17/09/2019. At: https://www.frieze.com/article/through-looking-glass-tim-walkers-fantastical-visions (Accessed 08/11/2020).