Love Maker, oil on textured wood

Timothy Tyler is a painter who draws inspiration from fashion, creating intimate, textured portraits of women in mysterious and surreal situations. In his current practice, Timothy is working on textured wood panels, making paintings that are roughly obscured by their surfaces.

Before the Show, oil on canvas

Timthoy has a selection of older works available in his portfolio – it’s interesting to be able to see the progression from these to what he has been more recently working on. The motif of the sewing mannequin appears in many of his works, where he paints a real woman’s head atop this facsimile. The effect is a somewhat eerie take that seems to speak to the vapidity of the fashion industry, with women appearing as blank slates waiting to be dressed.

The front page of Timothy's art website

The artist’s most recent works seem much smaller in scope, focusing in on a face or a single object such as a tube of lipstick. The texturing of some of the surfaces and Timothy’s choice of palette lend these works a look that reminds me of classical renaissance paintings or frescoes. 

Star Gazer, oil on wood