Briton Tim Walker is known for his fantastic fashion images in which his subjects are transported to dream worlds. More than a typical photographer, Walker is a storyteller, a creator of dreamy scenes, sometimes disturbing, with perfect staging and large-scale photographic productions.
The characters he portrays can be dwarfed by the objects that accompany them, from huge porcelain dolls to huge pencils, flowers or storybooks, which this photographer adores. Models that tame giant insects, rest next to roaring lions or come out of a mirror glass, like Alice in Wonderland, are some of his creations.
Now, Tim Walker has joined Tod's to narrate with mastery and humor all the artisan wisdom of this firm. And he has created a story made of images and videos that ironically and surreally goes through the creation phases of the brand's iconic products, from the leather Di Bag to the Gommino shoes, which were born to drive.
The exhibition of this collaboration is titled The art of craftsmanship and can be seen at Le Cavallerizze Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan as part of the city's design week.
Using a contemporary language, the artist once again plays with the proportions of the manufactured objects and the tools that accompany and represent the most important artisan steps: cutting the skin, sewing and brushing. Models smile from inside giant spools of thread or balance on shoe trees. They also wrap themselves in huge sheets of leather in a series of striking portraits.
In The art of craftsmanship, each image tells a story of quality and tradition, to remind us that behind each product are the tools that make it and the hands and knowledge of those who use them. "The Italian lifestyle and exceptional craftsmanship are core values for Tod's and having Tim Walker interpret them allows us to pass these values on to the younger generation as well, speaking their language," explains Diego Della Valle, Chairman and CEO of Grupo Tod's .
"In this increasingly digital world, where machines create so many things on an industrial scale, the value of craftsmanship is becoming more and more precious. The people I met in the company and their experience were the true source of inspiration," affirms for his part Tim Walker in the presentation of the project.
In each of these images resonates a message of art and beauty, of knowledge and a job well done, symbols of those authentic values that today are rediscovered even by the youngest and for which Tod's is known. The exhibition will be open to the public until Saturday, April 22, and then it will travel around the world throughout the year.
