Well Hung: A Tyler Shields and Max Wiedemann collaboration

Written by Louise Frost

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Well Hung: A Tyler Shields and Max Wiedemann collaboration

You'd be mistaken in thinking an exhibition entitled "Well Hung" was about depicting generously endowed gentlemen. Fortunately the exhibition, which displays the combined creative talents of American photographer Tyler Shields and British artist Max Wiedemann, instead sees the coming together of photography, art, and celebrity culture in an unexpectedly provocative way.

Their new collaboration confronts a society obsessed with media, money and celebrity by presenting many of young Hollywood’s prominent stars, including Mischa Barton, Twilight and Glee actresses, and the heavily featured Lindsay Lohan, in suggestive - and often compromising - situations. One photograph sees Lohan bearing a carving knife with blood splattered across her semi-naked body, and another depicts Twilight’s Ashley Greene tied to a railway track in the path of an oncoming train. This all sounds rather violent, but at the same time Shields’ photographs are consciously stylised and beautifully shot, as if aware of their photo-shoot status, so that they are impactful without disturbing.

Works by Tyler Shields featured as part of Well Hung exhibition at Imitate Modern gallery in London.

And where Shields photographs, Wiedeman adapts; subverting Shields' already confrontational images to further underline a message. With the aim to "create works which contain more truth than the original image," Wiedemann seeks to critique modern consumerism and excess by injecting humorous, punchy slogans into his images ("Money talks and has nothing to say,"), and presents the glamorous, rich subjects in a colourful, street art-esque way – as though bringing them to a universally 'accessible' level.

Visiting Well Hung exhibition

The free exhibition is definitely worth a visit, even just to appreciate the work on an aesthetic level, and runs from 13th October – 14th November 2011 at the Imitate Modern gallery in London.