Photographer Tyler Mitchell Is Revolutionizing The Fashion World

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The vibrant work of Brooklyn-based photographer Tyler Mitchell is centered around championing the experiences of people of color with optimism, playfulness, and dignity. His editorial and commercial portfolio has been met with critical acclaim, and new work will be premiered in his first ever solo exhibition at Foam in Amsterdam this month.

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 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 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 ‘Idyllic Space’ will debut alongside other unpublished video content, together with Mitchell’s personal photographic and editorial work at his solo show, titled ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’.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.

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Beyoncé for American Vogue, 2018. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Editorial for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

Editorial for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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El Paquete. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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El Paquete. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Ashton Sanders for Office Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Editorial for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Editorial for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Video still from 'Idyllic Space'. Image © Tyler Mitchell. Image courtesy of WePresent

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Aweng Chuol for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Editorial for More Or Less Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Ashton Sanders for Office Magazine. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Adut Akech Bior for British Vogue, January 2019. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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'Boys Of Walthamstow', image © Tyler Mitchell

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'Untitled (Kiki and Stephan)', for Document Journal. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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'Untitled Hat', for Document Journal. Image © Tyler Mitchell

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Video still from 'Idyllic Space'. Image © Tyler Mitchell. Image courtesy of WePresent

All images © Tyler Mitchell

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