Photographer Tyler Mitchell Is Revolutionizing The Fashion World

Mitchell made history in 2018 as the first African American photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue since its inception: capturing on camera the singer Beyoncé for the September issue. A pivotal moment and a necessity, considering the “Mitchell’s work visualizes a black utopia” magazine’s 125-year history. Previously, Mitchell had shot editorials for magazines including Document Journal, More Or Less Magazine, and Teen Vogue, the latter being an important group photo shoot of the teenage gun reform activists and survivors of the school shootings in Parkland, Florida. Mitchell’s work has captured the zeitgeist of political turmoil globally, yet his visual aesthetic refuses to reflect turbulence. Instead, as a statement from Foam explains, “Mitchell’s work visualizes a black utopia. Making use of candy color palettes and natural light, Mitchell captures young black people in gardens, parks, or in front of idyllic studio backdrops where they appear as free, expressive, effortless, sensitive, and proud”.

Selected images from his personal and commercial work are featured below. Mitchell’s new video installation ‘Idyllic Space’ is a compassionate documentation of the suburban activities and simple pleasures that many of us take for granted; a stark reminder that these moments have been historically denied to people of color. The making of this video and Mitchell’s motives“Mitchell captures young black people… where they appear as free, expressive, effortless, sensitive, and proud” behind it are explored in rich detail in an interview with the writer Antwaun Sargent for WePresent. ‘Idyllic Space’ will debut alongside other unpublished video content, together with Mitchell’s personal photographic and editorial work at his solo show, titled ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’. The exhibition will be on display at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam from April 19, until June 5, 2019. For more information, click here.