Petra Gut Contemporary is pleased to announce the first Solo Exhibition in Switzerland of Los Angeles-based artist Tyler Shields. It presents a comprehensive retrospective ranging over his entire career.
At the start of Tyler Shields' career, he was turned away by every magazine in publication, all of which told him that there was no way a celebrity would ever shoot outside of a studio and that his lavish stunts broadcasted across every website meant nothing because. I quote, “The internet was never going to replace magazines”. Today, the same magazines would need a miracle to find a time when Tyler was available for a commission with his constantly revolving door of galleries.
Galleries with the images he was told would be “impossible” to take. Once you witness him in action behind the lens, few words can describe shooting with Tyler Shields. Shields has had his models run from planes flying over their heads and holding $100,000 Birkin’s on fire next to their faces. Not to mention his image titled Lady And The Lion, where Shields had me dangle a steak over a live lion's mouth.
The list of life-threatening things we have done in the name of art is a mile long. But not once have I been scared when shooting with Tyler. He makes you feel like the impossible is always possible. Perhaps that’s why his best work is nothing short of magic. The shots shouldn’t exist. People shouldn’t want to be set on fire or climb naked up an electrical tower during a wind storm, but they do, and they do so happily. In fact, most people show up asking Shields to push them.
Everyone is simply transfixed by his presence and is willing to do whatever needs to be done to bring his vision to life.
Watching him work is when you see the real magic of Shields. In a way, he is both the photographer and the model. His vision is so clear that he will adjust you to your pinky finger before he takes a shot. He has perfected the art of making anyone and everyone feel comfortable in front of the lens and understood by the images he captures.
PETRA GUT CONTEMPORARY
St. Moritz
Via Chavallera 1A
CH-7500 St. Moritz
Opening hours (during the season)
Tue – Fri: 1 – 6 pm Saturday: 1 – 6 pm
– or by appointment –
Zürich
Nüschelerstrasse 31
CH-8001 Zürich
Opening hours
Wed – Fri: 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 11 am – 4 pm
– or by appointment –
Instagram: @petragutcontemporary
Twitter: @pgcontemporary
Facebook: @pgcontemporary
Website: www.petragut.com
Press contact
Petra Gut
+41 (0)44 422 4069
