Tyler Mitchell: Black Utopia Through Fashion Photography
Tyler Mitchell, born in 1995 in Atlanta and raised in Marietta, Georgia, is a photographer who redefines Black identity in fashion and media. He made history as the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue America cover, photographing Beyoncé for the September 2018 issue. His images, using natural light and soft colors, depict Black subjects in bucolic and domestic settings, aiming to visualize a Black utopia. Mitchell graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in Film and Television. He has collaborated with Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, JW Anderson, Wales Bonner, and Marc Jacobs. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, High Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Key facts
- Tyler Mitchell photographed Beyoncé for the September 2018 cover of Vogue America.
- He was the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue America cover in the magazine's 126-year history.
- Mitchell was born in 1995 in Atlanta and grew up in Marietta, Georgia.
- He earned a degree in Film and Television from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
- His photography style features natural light and soft, bright colors.
- Mitchell has worked with brands including Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, JW Anderson, Wales Bonner, and Marc Jacobs.
- His work is held by the Museum of Modern Art, High Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
- Mitchell aims to visualize what a Black utopia looks like or could look like.
Entities
Artists
- Tyler Mitchell
- Beyoncé
Institutions
- Vogue America
- New York University Tisch School of the Arts
- Loewe
- Louis Vuitton
- Ferragamo
- JW Anderson
- Wales Bonner
- Marc Jacobs
- Museum of Modern Art
- High Museum of Art
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Locations
- Atlanta
- United States
- Marietta
- Georgia