Tyler Mitchell at Frieze Masters 2022
A new commission reflecting on historical motifs in the context of an Edenic vision of Black beauty and desire
A new commission reflecting on historical motifs in the context of an Edenic vision of Black beauty and desire
For Frieze Masters 2022, the celebrated photographer Tyler Mitchell will debut new works including photographs, works on fabric and mirror, and a new installation, which reflect on historical motifs in the context of an Edenic vision of Black beauty and desire.
Mitchell’s photos, shot on location in upstate New York and in studios in New York and London, explore the relationship between young Black men and landscape.
The new works will be presented inside the fair, taking place 12–16 October 2022, and published in Frieze Masters magazine.
For my commission with Frieze Masters in London I am exhibiting new works which explore historic and contemporary relationships between young Black men and landscapes. While the images themselves don’t directly replicate any old master paintings, they create what I believe to be a beautiful dialogue and tension with master works. I like the idea that these distinctly contemporary photographs can call forth and make reference to historical pastoral landscapes – which we are accustomed to seeing in rococo, impressionist romantic and other historical styles of painting.
These works play with ideas of artificiality and reality by showing young people interacting with scenic backdrops of painted landscapes within real landscapes. By doing so they call forth ideas of how a landscape can be both seductive and threatening. –Tyler Mitchell
A Frieze Masters Commission with additional support from Gagosian.
About Tyler Mitchell
Tyler Mitchell (b. 1995, Atlanta, GA) is an artist, photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He received his B.F.A. in Film and Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His work introduces new narratives about Black beauty and desire, embracing themes of the past and creating fictionalized moments of the imagined future. Mitchell’s work is characterized by a visual representation of Black life that emphasizes empowerment, play and self determination. He is often inspired by pastoral and domestic scenes from his upbringing in suburban Georgia.
In 2018, he made history as the first Black photographer to shoot a cover of American Vogue for Beyoncé’s appearance in the September issue. The following year, a portrait from this series was acquired by The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery for its permanent collection.
Mitchell has been a visiting artist and lecturer at a number of institutions including Yale University, Harvard University, NYU, Paris Photo, and The International Center of Photography.
Discover Tyler Mitchell's commission at Frieze Masters, taking place in London's Regent's Park from 12–16 October 2022
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