You may recognize this iconic cover of American Vogue, after all, it is Queen B. In 2018, incredible photographer Tyler Mitchell made history by becoming the first Black photographer to shoot an American Vogue cover in the magazines 125 year history…with these photos of Beyonce.
Tyler Mitchell is a filmmaker and photographer based out of Brooklyn, NY. In 2017 he graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in television and film. Throughout college, Mitchell was always creating. He shot videos for brands like Givenchy and Prada, as well as published his first photo book, El Paquete in 2015.
Mitchell’s most latest project, entitled I Can Make You Feel Good, is a beautiful journey through an imagined ‘Black Utopia.’ When speaking about this latest collection Mitchell said, “I aim to visualize what a Black utopia looks like or could look like. People say utopia is never achievable, but I love the possibility that photography brings. It allows me to dream and make that dream become very real.”
One of the ways in which Mitchell evokes this feeling of a Black utopia is by projecting Black joy. In a country that has systemized the violence and oppression against Black bodies, it is rare to see clear depictions of pure, unaltered Black joy. When creating this collection, Mitchell thought a lot about why this is, and why we mainly only see white joy depicted in the media.
“I often think about what white fun looks like, and this notion that Black people can’t have the same. Growing up with Tumblr, I would often come across images of sensual, young, attractive white models running around being free and having so much fun — the kind of stuff Larry Clark and Ryan McGinley would make. I seldom saw that freedom for Black people in images — or at least in the photography I knew. My work responds to this lack. I feel an urgency to visualize Black people as free, expressive, effortless, and sensitive.” –Tyler Mitchell
Though not all the photographs are simply happy-go-lucky pictures. They are layered and steeped in metaphor. While we see Black youth playing in fields or having carefree fun, Mitchell subtly hints that not everything is as safe as it seems. Toy water guns used as props symbolize the horrific murder of 12 year old Tamir Rice. The chunky chain jewelry seen throughout symbolizes hundreds of years of chattel slavery, and in many ways, the system of mass incarceration responsible for the imprisonment of Black men and women today.
From his commercial work with brands and celebrities to his more personal work, Tyler Mitchell is a photographer to keep your eye on. His composition, colors, and storytelling abilities make him one of the top photographers of our time. Once a college creator himself, Mitchell shows us that through hard work, passion, and purpose we can achieve all that we want to!
To purchase I Can Make You Feel Good and learn more about Mitchell’s work please visit: https://www.tylermitchell.co/ and follow him on Instagram at: @tylersphotos
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Disclaimer: We do not have any professional connections to Tyler Mitchell, his brand, or his team. If we have violated any copyright laws please let us know. We are simply huge fans and want to celebrate this amazing photographer!
