The Dream of Tim Walker
If I had to choose between owning a pair of Balenciaga pumps or a signed photograph by Tim Walker, it would have to be the photograph–any day. In fact, I adore his work (almost) as much as my one true love (Nutella), so you can imagine my delight when I recently discovered that London’s very own Design Museum was hosting a solo exhibition of his snapshots.
Located near London Bridge and just a stone’s throw away from the riverside, the Design Museum is tucked away amongst quaint bare brick buildings just off a cobblestoned road. The location is reflective of Tim Walker’s distinctively unusual spirit, which would have merely been stifled in slightly more commercial exhibition spaces such as the National Portrait Gallery. What this also means is that you will not be elbowing your way through hordes of curious onlookers or have to race through the various rooms at marathon pace.
Without a doubt, Tim Walker is one of the most talented photographers of our time, having assisted Richard Avedon in New York in the early 1990’s and subsequently becoming a Vogue photographer in 1997. His glorious works have been published everywhere from Harper’s Bazaar to W, whilst his client portfolio includes Commes des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto. His incredible versatility and immeasurable talent, however, extend far beyond the narrow constraints of the fashion industry, and his non-fashion related shots are equally as impactive, if not more so.
As I strolled through the various rooms, savouring each and every picture and drinking every last drop of 
colour from his whimsical images, one particular quote by photographer Will McBride stuck in my mind: ‘The experience is so really big and the pages so awfully small’. Tim Walker’s exploration of the contrasts of opposites that attract or repel each other, ‘to create staged, imagined landscapes both inside and out of doors’ is so very big indeed that you cannot help but gasp in admiration. Stepping through this exhibition is like getting caught within a whirlwind of glittering pastels and oversized props infused with Alice in Wonderland magic.
‘When I think about it, photographs to me are really a kind of dream state. It’s not about a good dream, or a bad dream…it’s more that your day hazes and your mind drifts towards only being concerned by your imaginings.’
Tim Walker’s dream is so very different, so very beyond traditional confines, that it is sure to leave you speechless. If you are in town anytime before the 28th of September 2008, I have just one word for you: go.
Chic Today Highlights: Ice Cream Chandelier (2006, Vogue Italia), Snow in Summer (2000, Harpers
Bazaar) Blue Elephant Temple (1999, Vogue Nippon), Coco Rocha and Giant Glove (2006, Vogue UK), Lisa Cant in Dior Couture (2004, Vogue UK)
ps: and if you have a few moments to spare, make sure you also step into the incredible Richard Rogers exhibition on the floor below. Famous for having brought the Pompidou Center to Paris, this display offers an insightful glimpse into this architect’s talents and projects.
Images © Tim Walker
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