Tim Walker: Wonderful Things
Updated: Jan 30
A new exhibition at the V&A takes you on an immersive journey through the works of famous photographer, Tim Walker.
As one of the world's most innovative photographers, this exhibition invites you to discover the extraordinary creative processes through his images, films, photographic sets and special installations.
"Making photographs, to me, is really a kind of dreamt state. As you tour your imagination, you want to photograph what you are seeing...but the only way you can do this is by really utterly absolutely passionately firmly believing."
Tim Walker began his journey as a freelance photographic assistant in London. He then moved to New York City where he became an assistant to Richard Avedon. At the age of 25 he shot his first fashion story for Vogue and has been photographing editorially ever since for some of the biggest brands in fashion.
This exuberant exhibition showcases the weird but wonderful works of Britain's much loved photographer and isn't one for innocent eyes.
If you're not familiar with his images, expect to experience surrealism, humour, promiscuity, nudity, colour, but above all - beauty.
The exhibition probes right to the heart of the fashion and the people that it aims to capture and all that surrounds it. Intertwining literature, fairytales, art, and culture the images and installations offer a whirlwind tour of a captivating imagination showcased through unforgettable photography and provoking installations.
The show stopping part of the exhibition begins with Tim Walker sharing his love of the V&A and is followed by 10 rooms containing new projects with each one inspired by various artefacts from the V&A.
"For me, the V&A has always been a palace of dreams - it's one of the most inspiring places in the world."
Over the course of three years, Walker visited the V&A’s numerous storerooms, met with curators and technicians, even scaled the roof of the museum and climbed through the Victorian passages underneath it, in search of the items that would inspire each series.
The exhibition displays some of his finest works and reveals the scopes of his creative ability that constantly pushes boundaries in all spheres of our world. Being led by much of Tim Walker's own words throughout the exhibition you feel an immediate connection to his works and a rare insight into the creative journey he takes.
Tim Walker: Wonderful Things, curated by Susanna Brown and designed by Shona Heath, ran from 21 September 2019 to 8 March 2020 at the Victoria and Albert Museum.