Storyteller

Tim Walker is British fashion photographer whose work is also a combination of fashion (e.g. Vogue editorials) and artwork (e.g. storyteller).

His work is inspired by old stories and myths, these concepts are recreated and transformed into fashion editorials and shown in exhibitions. He is named as a fashion photographer, though his work is artistic. Therefore when creates his work, controversial and beautiful through the styling, the lighting and the meaning behind it all, it is appreciated within the fashion industry.

The shock factor is always being used and pushed by people within the industry. But is this just completely to sell products. To use designer clothes to make an audience want to buy them or look like the models in the photographs.

 

One thing I question, or have been questioning a lot recently is how photography and fashion can be seen as too shocking. Some concepts are considered vulgar and out of taste. Though within art, such as paintings, drawings and visuals, most of these push the boundaries of what is socially and culturally acceptable to say or present.

I went to Tate Liverpool over summer and I remember there was a wall covered in images of an artists work, he had kept a man in a room for 48 hours. He gave him a strict diet and he was observed by the public through a hole in the wall. The concept was about minimal living. Living off the bare minimum and to explore how this man dealt with having to be in this room for such a long period of time without physical and human contact.

After looking at all the contracts which had to be signed before they went through with the project, seeing the images of this altogether one wall, it stuck out and had an impact on my brain because of it's obscurity.
However, if this was related to fashion in any way, would this have been classed as too far and unacceptable? I want to explore the ways in which fashion photography and editorials are perceived by the public, and why they can be seen as tasteless and unsympathetic in certain circumstances.
Is it because of the link between fashion editorials and consumerism, do people think the reason behind these photographs is to sell by using devastation or is it to put out someone's beliefs about particular world wide/social/cultural issues?...

My brain is full of these questions! I need to do some first hand research to get a bit of clarity because at the moment I'm still finding it hard to reach a particular path to explore to create my dissertation on...