In the golden desert, we see a fashionably dressed family playing together. Albany, Georgia (2021) is a photograph that shows a father, dressed in a tailored suit, happily swinging a child in circles. In the background, two siblings in white shirts toss a football to each other. A different shot, titled Ancestors (2021), takes us indoors to glimpse a mother and daughter getting ready in the mirror. Portraits of their maternal ancestors stand proudly on the mantelpiece, watching over them. Filmmaker and photographer Tyler Mitchell (b. 1995) is the artist behind these serene and joyful scenes. These images fit into a wider practice that is anchored to one clear mission: portraying Black Joy. Published in 2020, Mitchell’s first ever monograph I Can Make You Feel Good set the tone for his work. In an interview with Aesthetica, he explained that the series was “an exploration of the positive elements of outdoors, putting forward a narrative of optimism.” Four years later, the lens-based artist continues sharing “narratives of optimism” through the camera and this is clear in his newest exhibition at The High Museum of Art, Idyllic Space.
This show is a homecoming for the Atlanta native, who ascended to global prominence when he photographed Beyoncé for the September 2018 issue of Vogue — the first Black artist to shoot the cover in the magazine’s history. Idyllic Space came about following the High Museum of Art’s recent acquisition of Mitchell’s The Hewitt Family (2021). An image of the whole family takes the central position at the top of a mirror, whilst solo portraits fan out from this point to fill the rest of the composition. In addition to this piece, Idyllic Space will include more than 30 photographs exploring themes of domesticity, masculinity, motherhood, nature, play and rest. Moreover, a new photo-sculptural artwork – created specifically for Idyllic Space – features more than 20 Atlanta-area families who are members of Jack and Jill of America. Founded by African American mothers in 1938, it’s a national organisation with 262 chapters across the USA. Each chapter programmes activities that help children build skills in order to become future leaders. Mitchell took part when he was young and reflects on the experience as a foundational and complicated aspect of his social upbringing and understanding of identity growing up in the American South.
The playfully theatrical, expressive works on display explore beauty, identity and style. Mitchell also takes inspiration from his upbringing in Atlanta, infusing the communities, homes and landscapes into his work. Visitors will have the opportunity to see these influences in his fashion work, including images he shot for publications like Vogue and high-end brands, such as Mercedes Benz, Louis Vuitton, Prada and more. He is amongst the growing list of contemporary creatives who are seamlessly blending fine art and fashion photography, such as Djeneba Aduayom, Iris van Herpen and Vivian Sassen. Mitchell takes us to worlds filled with relaxed subjects who express unabashed joy. Alongside the still images, the exhibition also presents a single-channel video installation that invites viewers to recline whilst viewing Mitchell’s lyrical images of young Black men enjoying seemingly mundane activities such as eating ice cream, swimming in pools and playing tag — a joyous representation that contrasts historically denied pleasures.
Many of these images delve into the profound themes of connection and family, as we see in Albany, Georgia (2021), Ancestors (2021) and The Hewitt Family (2021). Here, the photographer is capturing not just moments but the essence of relationships. These carefully crafted scenes weave a narrative of love, intimacy and shared experiences. In 2021, Mitchell was part of art collector and curator Dr. Kenneth Montague’s book As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic, which compiled 100 works from creatives from creatives around the world. He reflects: “The images that I collect are not around oppression and violence, but [focus on] showing the beauty of ordinary Black life. Many of these pictures remind you of your own family: ‘That looks just like my aunties getting together for a family event’, or ‘That looks like something my cousins in the UK did when they were visiting us on vacation.” Mitchell’s work fits perfectly into this collection because of his ability to capture the beauty of interpersonal bonds.
Images have an important role when it comes to shaping reality. They have the power to show us what is possible. Positive representation gives us something to aspire towards. Mitchell’s still and moving image works whisk the viewer away to a utopian world filled with leisure and relaxation. They counter prevalent depictions of Black suffering to show that there is more to the Black experience. Like in real life, he shows people at ease and spending quality time with loved ones. In this way, Idyllic Space continues Mitchell’s advocacy for better representation of Black people both in front and behind the camera.
High Museum of Art, Tyler Mitchell: Idyllic Space | Until 1 December
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Tyler Mitchell (American, born 1995), Untitled (Trust), 2018, archival pigment print, courtesy of the artist. © Tyler Mitchell.
- Tyler Mitchell (American, born 1995), Untitled (Paper Planes), 2022, archival pigment print, courtesy of the artist. © Tyler Mitchell.
- Tyler Mitchell (American, born 1995), Ancestors, 2021, archival pigment print, courtesy of the artist. © Tyler Mitchell.
