Tyler Udall (born 1979) is a photographer who has already made a significant impact in the world of photography. He has worked with many high-profile fashion and art magazines and has published three books: August 2009-August 2010 (OH WOW Gallery, 2010), Auguries of Innocence (Armour Press, 2015), and I AM (The Little Black Gallery, 2019). His work has been exhibited worldwide. Udall’s images evoke the styles of renowned fine-art photographers such as Juergen Teller and Ryan McGinley. In an interview with QX, he discusses what sparked his interest and his love of figurative photography.
How were you introduced to the world of photography and when did you realise that you had a passion for it?
I think my gateway drug into the world of photography happened via magazines in the 90’s like Dazed & Confused, i-D, DUTCH and The Face. I would endlessly pour over the images in those publications for hours and hours. They made these aspirational worlds seem attainable. I supposed when I started to work for those same magazines, that is when the photography passion was truly lit.
What are the subjects of your photography and what are the themes in your work?
Generally speaking they are the people in my life so a lot of my work is figurative. That said I do love shooting environments and the occasional abstraction. I like to explore narratives with my camera and blurring the lines between fashion, portraiture and conceptual storytelling seems to be my happy place.
What exhibitions have you been able to participate in?
Well I have been fortunate to be included in a slew of the BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! exhibitions that have toured the world from, Australia to Korea, Ireland, England to America and more. Aside from that I have had three solo shows with The Little Black Gallery, shown at Photo London, Photo San Francisco, Photo LA and many other wonderful group shows around the world.
Are you also a photographer for hire? How does one go about commissioning your services or acquiring your photographs?
I am a photographer for hire. A lot of actors and musicians commission me to shoot their portraits for publicity purposes which is super fun. I also shoot fashion editorials for magazines. Contacting either me through my website www.tylerudall.com or my lovely gallerist Ghislain at www.thelittleblackgallery.com is usually the best way to get in touch.
What projects do you have in the pipeline?
I’m working on a series about Performers at the moment. It’s a mix of portraiture, reportage and video work.
All images available from BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! boysboysboys.org
Social media: @boysfineart @tylerudallphotography and @boysgallerycafelondon
Images courtesy of agent and gallerist to Tyler Udall.
