The Importance Of Extravagance & Representation With Tim

Walker

Introduction
Fashion photographer Tim Walker, took lead in the 45th Pirelli Calendar, presenting a shoot
with an all-black cast; this being the second time to happen for the company (NNSMAG,
2017). He offers a highly allegorical voice and support for a wide range of cultures and
sexualities. Making a strong point of “celebrating difference” (Creative bloom, 2017)

Fig 1 Pirelli Calendar 2018 – RuPaul & Dijmon Photography Tim Walker
However Walker is a new revelation to the fashion industry being the breakthrough “at a
dawn of a sadly puritanical time for photography”.(Illustrations, fashion photographer
exclusive interview,2018) Respectfully, he breaks off from the idealistic modern world to
pave a new future with his art.
The question is, why? Fashion today is a new world; a different realm of independence and
a choice of character, so why is Walker so important for his extravagance and
representation? Following this, how does he connect to his audience through this work?
As I enter the world of fashion through study, I look up to Tim Walker to influence my work
and put me in the right direction of giving opportunity to the wider public, like that of what I
admire of a post-modern world just like Walker. To start my essay, I delve deeper into the
mind of Tim Walker and his surrealist ideas that he produces alongside set designer Shona
Health. In the second part, I look at his post-modern references with traits of parody and
pastiche commemorating Hieronymus Bosch. Thirdly, I investigate how he influenced others
like the models and even myself within my creative practice.

Surrealism: Analysing Tim Walker’s Subconscious Mind

For the past 2 decades Tim Walker, a Fashion photographer has teamed up with a very well-
known set designer Shona Health. The two have a special relationship as Shona has
described they “have the same back catalogue, almost visual memories of childhood.”
(Working with Tim Walker: set design). According to Elizabeth Loftus, PhD your childhood
can become a fabricated made-up scenario that you believe to be real. “new information,
new ideas, new thoughts… can cause… an alteration in memory” (American Psychological
Association, 2018)
Fig 2 ‘box of delights’ (2019) Photographed by Tim Walker

Through conversations in the last 20 years with one another they envision their past and
start to add to the depth creating a sense of reality. In fig 2, the use of a fish-eye lens
creates a 3rd eye view into their childhood dreams having their very own white pony
frolicking through the garden with exotic flowers you only see in movies.
This is not a set which makes sense of functionality but rather a realistic memory fashioned
from a dream, film, or a lullaby so impactful that it has been held dearest to them since they
were children, creating the post-modern world seen through Walker's eyes.

So, what is this style of remanence? How will this provoke an audience to behave and
interact with his work? Does the scale and extravagance play a part in our own subconscious
mind?
Walker’s childhood was that of most English suburban boys of his time growing up in (Tim
Walker Photography,2012) Dorset, part of a nuclear family (mother, father, brother). As a
child he had a lot more time to develop his imaginations as being a child is so carefree, he
kept records of memoirs and pictures that has developed into the most “fantastical element
of photography”. (Illustrations, fashion photographer exclusive interview,2018)

Fig 3 still from Tim Walker, Illustrious Fashion Photographer Exclusive Interview (2018)
made to measure
"As adults, time is lost…We're all so busy and everything is accelerated. What a child
has is a lot of time to wander and daydream. That's what I did as a child." (Tim
Walker Photography,2012)
Walker uses humpty dumpty props, from our nursery rhymes. Dolls we all grew up with and
loved. The twist being he makes them into a real-life experience, engaging with the models
and even exploding the size of the doll, which plays on the emotions of the audience.
Freud’s law of uncanny, familiar things becoming unfamiliar, is present in Tim Walker's work
as he taps into his childhood memories that many of us have even experienced before.
Although uncanny is entirely subjective. “Uncanny is in reality nothing new or alien, but fig 2
Fig 2 box of delights 2019 Photographed by Tim Walker
something which is familiar and old-established in the mind and which has become
alienated from it only through the process of repression” (Freud, 2019). These subconscious
simultaneous experiences are present in the work of Walker and can leave the audience
seeing an unworldly but relatable experience.
Shona Health and Walker have a very honest charm about the work they create together
eclectic memories for their new curated world that seems to envision a reality so personal
to them and the audience.

Parody & Pastiche: Representation from the eye of Tim Walker

In the 16th century holland, Hieronymus Bosch created an oil painting ‘Triptych’ more
commonly known as ‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’. Walker paid homage to Bosch in 2017
when Walker was given the brief to “approach a whole world you’ve never been able to
approach in the fashion industry” (Illustrations, fashion photographer exclusive
interview,2018). Instantly he knew this was an opportunity to pay tribute to Bosch and give
a platform to an open sexual realm of the beauty we live in today. Glenn Ward talks about in
her book understand post modernism (Ward 2011,164)
Fig 4 ‘Triptych’ (1400-1500) by Hieronymus Bosch
Bosch creates a ‘paradise’ where people of all cultures and sexuality live happily among
each other.
Given this was set in the 16th century, a far cry from our today. How has Walker explored
the possibility to make his work relevant for today’s audience? What boundaries did he
face? And how has he overcome this hurdle to respect and honour people just like Bosch?
Tim Walker, a male photographer, capturing women was his muse, taking pictures of Tilda
Swindon, Kate Moss and Karen Elson as he says, “there’s an extremity to my interest in
beauty”, he truly idolises women but also invites the idea of other genders and cultures to
share this platform. Haraway’s cyborg manifesto written in 1895 seems like a small cry
toward an idealistic future and This gives us a glimpse of a “post gender world” she talks
about so fondly. (Harraway, 1991)

Fig 5 ‘Garden of earthly delights’ (2017) photographed by Tim Walker

This shoot consists of a combination of unique qualities with no restraints on gender,
sexuality, or ethnicity. He celebrates Bosch by including “erotic quality” and “red, fleshy
juiciness” that we do not see enough today.

“Modern life...conspire to keep our sexual liberty under lock and key”. (Ward 2011,165)

Haraway chooses “modern life” to differentiate who decides to keep sexuality a secret. This
explains that Walker works within a post-modern world as he is more open to exploring
sexual identities within all people as “everyone is alive” and respects that choice of
fulfilment. Walker has faced difficult boundaries when advertising this shoot. He was told
they will not make it into the magazines which makes Walker more honourable as he sees
sex as natural and deals with it respectfully instead of perversions seen by the media; a
topic heavily spoken about from Foucault “We must...ask why we burden ourselves today
with so much guilt for having once had said sex a sin.” (Ward 2011, 187)
Walker has done an amazing job at selecting the most crucial elements of Bosch’ work, like
the racial respect seen in Bosch’ work, he has been able to mirror his work but accentuated
the most important points that the audience of today need to hear and appreciate.
Embodying the work of Tim Walker: Models and Myself
The models working for Walker idolise him for the sense of escapism he creates with his
shoots; they are given the chance to embody their own fantasies and dreams. Walker is
known for leaving his briefs open so that the shoot can be “abstract…off-kilter…dynamic”
(Working with Tim Walker: models). Alexander McQueen was the turning point to Tim
Walker's niche.
Fig 6 Portrait ‘Alexander McQueen’ (2009) Photographed by Tim Walker
“McQueen taking control of that sitting taught me the importance of the subject owning
their photograph,” (The guardian, 2019)
So, this is the part where I ask myself these questions. How can I take influence from
Walker? Will I be the source and platform to raise awareness to issues I believe strongly
about? Can I make garments that speak for the wearer, loud enough to be heard?
Ever since I started my fashion journey in college 2 years ago, I have been influenced by
walker to create garments with full expression; engaging in theatrical silhouettes. It is now
that I can see Walker’s motifs spilling through to my artwork and illustrations.

Fig 7 Illustration for ‘The White Project’ 2021 Jade Harris, own photograph
 “To voice my opinions and make a difference…It felt like chaos, like a rebellion waiting to
happen.”
Taken from an extract explaining my first project at university. When given full reins of my
concept for my first project, I decided to design for the lower-class population of the UK- a
topic I feel resonates with myself as well as many others. When given the opportunity, like
“McQueen taking control”, I felt strongly about producing an outcome of justice and
progress as the future was in my hands to change for the better.
I too took the uncanny approach. The silhouette of the body is blocked, like shadows casted
from harsh lighting. This is like that of a human but the crossed-out eye and hollow features
offer a resurrected feel which can be quite disturbing. This gets the essence of my raw and
honest concept by evoking a feeling deep within the viewer.

Conclusion
Tim Walker is a fashion photographer taking a new lead within the fashion world today.
With the help of set designer Shona Walker, he creates the most elaborate scenes that
are the base to an idealistic future - Irrespective of race and sexuality. They recently
finished an exhibition in 2019 supported by the V&A, taking relics from the museum,
and turning them into “fantastical worlds” (Victoria and Albert, 2019). beauty has always
intrigued walker and it is only now that his platform has begun to spark interest in this
modern world. “Now Karen Elson is considered one of the great beauties of our
time…they hold an authenticity.” (Tim Walker Photography, 2012)

Fig 8 The making of the V&A's "Tim Walker: Wonderful Things" exhibition (2019-
2020) Credit: Jamie Stoker
In the first part of my essay, I investigated the way in which Walker’s mind captivates his
audience alongside Shona health. I learnt about the feelings of uncanny within his work,
presented within Freud’s law of familiar becoming unfamiliar, and noticed just how he plays
on the innocence of his work, which stems from childhood memories but with a twist and
evokes feelings we all recognise and can sympathise for.
For the second part of my essay, I explored the ways in which Walker represents the
intertextuality of post-modernism with parody and pastiche following the iconic oil painting
of Harmonious Bosch. This is a careful reincarnation of his work within the modern world
but performs to further break the beauty standards set for today, as well as recognising the
limitations he encountered in doing so. To me, this explains just why walker helps to
promote the workings of others as he recognises how hard it can be to be heard, when you
are doing something of the unordinary; so be it something of passion.
Finally, the last part of my essay was the influence of the people who know Walker best, the
models he spends the most time with. He is loved by many and models cherish the time
they spend together, they feel expressed and empowered. By giving the models freedom,
the work of Walker shows expressionism and connection to the models themselves, which is
something uncommon in the fashion industry at the moment.
The collections of memories and commemorating past surrealist art, gives Walker a great
base to showcase his own ideals. By speaking for the people, the more of an audience he
must listen to him and his views. Furthermore, when it comes to my design work, this
research has made me want to express more by not only thinking of the concept
thoroughly, but also, not shying away from bringing every detail into my work to reinforce
that concept. That way I can really start to make a difference just like Walker and truly
connect to those that see themselves in my work.

Illustrations List
Fig 1 The Queen and King of Hearts ‘45th Pirelli Calendar’ (2018) –Photographed by Tim
Walker,c reative bloom [online] available at
https://now.ntu.ac.uk/d2l/le/content/717639/viewContent/5072439/View [accessed
24/03/21]
Fig 2 ‘box of delights’ (2019) Photographed by Tim Walker. Tim Walker wonderful things, by
Tim Walker and Susanna Brown, London V&A. p95
Fig 3 still i-Cons: Tim Walker (2017) i-D [youtube] available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVNAcXgrOYo [accessed 16/03/21]

Fig 4 Triptych’ (1400-1500) by Hieronymus Bosch, museo del prado, [online] available at
https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-garden-of-earthly-delights-
triptych/02388242-6d6a-4e9e-a992-e1311eab3609 [accessed 20/03/21]
Fig 5 ‘Garden of earthly delights’ (2017) photographed by Tim Walker. Nicola Erni collection.
Tim walker photography [online] available at
https://www.timwalkerphotography.com/books/the-garden-of-earthly-delights [accessed
20/03/21]
Fig 6 portrait ‘Alexander McQueen’ (2009) Photographed by Tim Walker from Tim Walker
Photography, 2009 [online] available at
https://now.ntu.ac.uk/d2l/le/content/717639/viewContent/5072439/View [accessed
16/03/21]
Fig 7 Illustration for ‘The White Project’ (2021) Jade Harris own photograph
Fig 8 The making of the V&A's "Tim Walker: Wonderful Things" exhibition (2019-
2020) Credit: Jamie Stoker [online] available at https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/tim-
walker-wonderful-things/index.html [accessed 24/04/21]

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