Greatly awaited exhibition, Tim Walker’s
“Story Teller”, is finally open. Like every admirer of Tim’s work we ventured
to Somerset House to experience the works of one of the famous fashion
photographers this world produced.
We entered the first room of East Wing with
expectation that most of the props in his photographs were a digital creation.
But to our surprise we encountered a real size spitfire made out of polystyrene
and fiberglass, used in the photo shoot for British Vogue 2009, which triggered
a notion that the rest of his work is done the same way. Progressing onwards in
the exhibition aforementioned notions were true.
Because of the presence of props materials
and installations the exhibition evokes a feeling of being on a photo shoot set
during which you can develop an understanding on how an image in a magazine
editorial comes to be. This is also emphasised by enlarged storyboards from an
editorial for Italian Vogue, where intriguingly scary giant doll was used (the
storyboards can be seen on the photo where Ewa stands next to the giant doll).
When researching further about the
exhibition I found that this show is really all about set design and close
relationship between Tim Walker and set designers.
One might argue
that props draw more interest than the photographs but I think they give an
insight into the process of photography without revealing every secret of the
trade in addition increasing admiration for a photograph.
Ewa with a giant doll from Vogue Italia editorial
"Like a doll" - Lindsey Wixon 2011
Audrey Marnay 2011
Monty Python 2009
Fantasia on neutical theme 2010
Giant TV Vogue 2008
Malgosia Bela, Skeleton Harper's Bazaar 2009
Malgosia Bela Vogue Italy 2009
Albert Elbaz New Yorker 2009
