ENCHANTING HORROR

How to account for the phenomenon of Chadwick Tyler? Much has been written already about the man and his photography but the process of idolization began with the instant acclaim that greeted the first images of his not yet open first solo show: Tiberius. Tyler has created a fairy tale of such potency and beauty that it reconnects with the primal thrill and horror of depression era stories. His images are populated by an extensive cast of talented models ranging from the unknown to Karlie Kloss, Lisa Cant, Maggie Rizer, Agnete Hegelund, and Lekeliene Stange. Like captivating oddities, macabre characters in makeup and great styling evoke the realities of past American life in the dirty thirties, expressing a wide range of intense emotions. The striking figures, sometimes appearing quite gruesome, seem to be exploring mysterious dark edges buried deep inside their souls. Chadwick Tyler wants to prove that if an artist looks inward rather than outward, unembellished beauty and emotion will surface. A raw vision of a life and death combat. His photographs are complex and ambiguous, shrouded in mystery and fundamental romanticism. I also see a celebration of individual worth and personal freedom in these images, a much simpler theory, I know.
I hope that a publication will be available from the gallery.

All photos: The Fashion Spot