Cathy's Art Diary

Strange but beautiful exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum looking at the work of fashion photographer Tim Walker. I started thinking it was an interesting but slightly dull show as the first room was a standard white gallery room well described but fairly ordinary. It did set up the themes of the show and Walker’s technique of building elaborate sets for his work but you’re not sure how the show is going to maintain interest for more than one room. Then you turn a corner and you are entering the sets you have read about and into Walker’s fantasy worlds. If anything the installations overwhelm the photographs but it’s a rather wonderful experience. I liked the section looking at how the museum itself has influenced Walker over the years and included some lovely objects from the collection including a lovely strained glass window of a couple in bed. Later on there is a homage to the conservation department of the museum and to the Edith Sitwell items the museum h...

Artistically displayed exhibition of the work of fashion photographer Tim Walker at Somerset House. These were very imaginative photographs placing the clothes and models in a fantasy world. They were displayed with the props used by the photographer in a fantasy space so there was giant skeleton, a snail climbing up the wall and a large swan shaped boat. I did sometimes feel however that the clothes were not that well shown. It was selling a dream and an image rather than the garment. I preferred Tim Walkers wonderful portraits work particularly a Vivienne Westwood with a coral tiara and orange roses and a large picture of Alexander McQueen with a skull and cigarettes. There was also a lovely picture of the Monty Python team in exploding hats giving an air of nostalgic comedy.