Tyler Mitchell (photographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tyler Mitchell
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Mitchell in 2020
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| Born | April 12, 1995 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Tyler Mitchell is a talented American photographer. He was born on April 12, 1995. Tyler lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is famous for taking the cover photo of superstar Beyoncé for Vogue magazine.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Tyler Mitchell grew up in Marietta, Georgia. When he was in ninth grade, he bought a Canon camera. He taught himself how to make skateboarding videos. He learned how to edit videos by watching YouTube tutorials. Tyler went to The Westminster Schools in Atlanta.
In 2015, when he was 20, Tyler visited Havana, Cuba. He spent six weeks there for a photography program. He took many pictures of skateboarding and buildings in Havana. He then created a 108-page book called El Paquete.
Tyler later studied film and television at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He learned from a famous artist named Deborah Willis. He graduated from NYU in 2017.
Photography Career
Before he photographed Beyoncé for Vogue magazine, Tyler had a lot of experience. He made and edited short films at home. He also shot music videos for rapper Kevin Abstract during his first year of college.
Tyler also worked with Teen Vogue magazine. He photographed young people who were activists for gun control. A few months later, in 2018, Tyler Mitchell made history. At 23 years old, he became the first African American to photograph a cover for American Vogue. He was also one of the youngest photographers to do so. In 2019, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery bought one of his portraits of Beyoncé. It is now part of their permanent collection.
Tyler has also taken photos for many big companies. These include Marc Jacobs, JW Anderson, Converse, Nike, Givenchy, and Loewe. His work includes fashion photography and art photography. He also creates film projects. His art often explores topics about identity and his own life.
Exhibitions and Art Projects
In 2019, Tyler had his first solo art show. It was at the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The show was called I Can Make You Feel Good. It featured his videos, photographs, and art installations. This exhibition then traveled to the International Center of Photography in New York. It was shown there until May 2020.
In 2021, Tyler worked with Michael Rooks from the High Museum of Art. They created an exhibition about the culture of the Southern United States. This show was called Idyllic Space. It featured photos of Black men, women, and children in nature and at home. Tyler said these photos show a perfect vision of Black life. They invite viewers to imagine their own "unreachable perfect" world.
Artistic Style and Influence
Tyler Mitchell is praised for showing different sides of Black life. He calls this a "Black utopic vision." His exhibition I Can Make You Feel Good shows Black people enjoying everyday life, often outdoors. The New York Times said this challenges old art ideas about who gets to enjoy free time. Tyler also explores cultural ideas in his fashion photography.
Tyler has mentioned Ryan McGinley and Larry Clark as early artists who influenced him. His work is also compared to artists like Kehinde Wiley, Jamel Shabazz, and Nadine Ijewere.
Exhibitions
- I'm Doing Pretty Hood in My Pink Polo, Red Hook Labs Gallery and Aperture Gallery, 2018
- Labs New Artists II (group exhibition), Red Hook Labs Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, June 2018
- The Way We Live Now (group exhibition), Aperture Foundation, New York City June – August 2018
- I Can Make You Feel Good, Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, April–June 2019
- I Can Make You Feel Good, International Center of Photography, January 2020 – May 2020
- Idyllic Space, High Museum of Art, June 2024 – December 2024
Books
- I Can Make You Feel Good. 2020. ISBN: 9783791386089
Awards
- Forbes 30 under 30 - Art & Style 2019
- British Fashion Council - New Wave Creative
- Dazed Digital - Dazed 100 2016
- BET - BET's Future 40 list 2020
- 2021 Award for Editorial, Advertising and Fashion Photography, Royal Photographic Society
