We spoke to the photographer about his latest zine BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Vol 2 which brings together the most memorable images from his archive of intimate nudes
Tyler Udall has been “in chrysalis mode for a minute”. In the early 00s, the photographer and artist was the senior fashion editor at Dazed and AnOther, helming iconic covers of queens like Kate Moss and Tilda Swinton. Then, in the early 2010s, Udall picked up the camera himself and went on to become a major queer photographer.
Now residing in his native Canada, Udall’s photography has been shown in London and San Francisco. His latest endeavour is his takeover of the zine edition of BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!, gallerist Ghislain Pascal’s collective of gay imagery that draws together 73 photographers’ shots of.. well, boys, boys, boys into one magazine. The smaller zines are an opportunity for different photographers to have their moment in the sun, so Udall’s zine is his creative sandbox to play in.
Udall’s work is inspired by and predominantly features the friends and lovers in his life. His subjects are typically the boys, boys, boys (and beyond) who have crossed paths with Udall, lending a strong, meaningful intimacy to his zine. It’s highly, tastefully erotic, too, and potently draws on gender nonconformity.
Below, we spoke to Udall about his creative process, his inspirations and using his friends and lovers as subjects.
What led to your participation in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!?
Tyler Udall: I’ve been a part of BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! since its inception. Ghislain [Pascal] and The Little Black Gallery have represented me since 2013 and have continued to be my biggest supporters. When Ghislain started the BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! collective I was beyond thrilled that someone was finally creating the platform and of course, to be involved. You would be surprised how little support there is for queer and gay photography – especially in a fine art context.
When I first started to exhibit my images I was pretty blindsided to learn first-hand the blatant homophobic and patriarchal professional roadblocks I had to navigate. To see the BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! network grow so exponentially and the traction it has garnered in a relatively short amount of time is remarkable. Such a globally diverse group of artists being supported and promoted all under one umbrella…. well, it warms my heart and frankly the world needs a lot more of it.
Can you talk us through your creative process when approaching BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Zine Vol 2? How did you choose the images you’ve included?
Tyler Udall: I’ve been in chrysalis mode for a minute and now that the shell is starting to disintegrate the zine felt like the perfect opportunity to sneak preview a selection of new work I have been creating while simultaneously revisiting some of the older works that tug at a lot of people’s heartstrings. Essentially, when we were editing these images, it boiled down to a body of work celebrating the most near-and-dear people I have collaborated with.
Who would you say are your inspirations as a photographer?
Tyler Udall: The people in my life first and foremost. The majority of my work is figurative. That said, I do love to photograph the occasional landscape, environment or abstraction. Ultimately, they all tie into the same narrative or world that explores the undercurrents of human dynamics. I’m more interested in capturing a moment and freezing it in time than achieving a technically perfect photograph. In my experience, the best stuff happens in between the main events.
From a purely photographic reference point, artists like Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Ed van der Elsken, Francesca Woodman and Larry Sultan seem to provide endless sparks of inspiration. Mark Morrisroe continues to make my heart flutter every time I look at his work.
Your subjects are typically lovers and friends – how do you select them? And do you view these shoots as a collaboration of sorts?
Tyler Udall: How do I choose my friends and lovers? Hmmm, well, I guess if I had to articulate it, I tend to gravitate to people with some kind of shared sensibility. Taste and talent are huge turn-ons and, in equal measure, authenticity really gets me going. When it comes to choosing which of my friends and lovers I photograph – that very much is about a desire to collaborate. They have to want to be photographed. That initial criteria tends to flush out a lot of the casting for me. You would be surprised, given today’s image-driven culture, how many people are uncomfortable being photographed. That discomfort only seems to amplify when I’m shooting film and they can’t instantly see the image.
But in answer to your question about collaboration: yes. Deeply, yes. All of my images are documented creative conversations and collaborations.
You were, of course, the senior fashion editor at AnOther and Dazed – how did your time in that position influence your photography?
Tyler Udall: Working at Dazed and AnOther very much feels like attending an elite Ivy League creative university. I couldn’t have imagined a better education. The talent and collaborators I was exposed to through Dazed are very much the bedrock of who I am as an artist. Fortunately for me, I almost exclusively collaborated with fine art photographers during my tenure. This was a time when glossy, high-octane fashion images were the word of God. My irreverent spirit allowed me the opportunity to sponge up so many golden pearls of wisdom from the photographers I partnered with.
Are you planning on exhibiting your latest photographs in future?
Tyler Udall: Indeed! I’m currently knee-deep in my latest series as well as a new book. I’ll be exhibiting this work and the accompanying publication soon. Keep your eyes peeled!
BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Zine No 2 / Tyler Udall is available to buy here. The official launch is in New York on May 18 at Clamp Gallery with Tyler present for a zine signing.