TIM WALKER : STORY TELLER
Posted on October 23, 2012
Do you dare to delve into Tim Walker’s fashion fairytale? From the man whose unique vision turns “daydreams into photographs” comes an exhibition like no other. Newly open at Somerset House, Tim Walker: Story Teller offers visitors the chance to take a walk through Walker’s extraordinary world in all its fantastically surreal glory…
Expect to come face to face with model Lindsay Wixson’s haunting counterpart for Vogue Italia – a super-sized doll, towering in might and porcelain prowess with a head full of deceptively innocent curls to match, a giant cello-playing bumblebee, plus a crash landing of Lily Donaldson’s near-miss spitfire.
And that’s just the props. Walker’s fashion editorials are the real stars of the show. Within each and every pixel his incredible eye comes fully into view, to weave a beautifully crafted story that collectively documents a modern girl’s encounter with the hyper-real. Think Stella Tennant aboard a pink cloud in an English country garden, Lily Cole’s ascent of the most spectacular spiraling staircase and Olga Sherer’s cavalry moment amidst a chaos of pastel destruction.
Such is the power of Walker’s work, it has to be seen to be believed – and be prepared for a few breathtaking moments while you do so. His portraits are also showcased at the exhibition, which include famous faces Alexander McQueen, Helena Bonham Carter and Vivienne Westwood to provide a stripped back alternative, said to be the inspiration for the next chapter of Walker’s work.
The exhibition will run until 27th January 2013, but if you can’t make it to London to see it in the flesh, Thames & Hudson have published a ‘Story Teller by Tim Walker’ – a book including over 175 images, collages and snapshots, all taken from the photographer’s personal archives. The perfect Christmas gift? We think so.
