This document provides an analysis of a photograph of fashion designer Alexander McQueen taken by Tim Walker. The photograph is part of an exhibition at the Manchester Arts Gallery. The analysis notes that the photograph uses repetition of a cigarette being held in McQueen's hand and in the mouth of a human skull. This represents the movement of cigarettes from hand to mouth and alludes to death from smoking. It also comments that the composition and camera angle were clearly planned to create balance. The analysis interprets that the predominant white color makes the photograph eye-catching and creates an illusion relating to the themes of sex, death and religion in McQueen's work.

1. Alexander McQueen
By Tim Walker, October 2009.
Found in the Manchester Arts
Gallery’sexhibition of
Vogue100: A Century in Style,
within the 2000ssection of
the exhibition.
Printed on Archival Pigment
Printpaper.
Small part of the quotation,
next to the piece describing
the individual“obsessed with
sex, death and religion and
respect- No limits to what a
fashion show can be”.
Propertiesof the Photograph of Alexander McQueen:
- There is used of repetition within the photograph of the cigarette being hold in
differentaspects of the photograph. Such as the cigarette is being hold in
Alexander’sright hand and in the mouthof the human skull. This could be seen as
an illusory of the movementof the cigarette movingfrom hand to mouth, and the
representation of the word’death’ in the quotation to the photograph, as the
message is being informativebeing a visualimage of peopledyingfrom smoking
each year.
- The composition and scale was clearly planned, asthere is an equal amountof
balance of negative space on each side of the individual.
- Furthermorethe mid-shot (camera shot) of Alexander McQueen revealsand
shows the intricate details of the message, features and the portrait of the
individual.
- The ‘white’ colour, which is used from the majority of the photograph, I believe
that Tim Walker used this colour, as the colour is significant and powerfulasit
makes the photographeye-catching as wellas creating of illusory of incidents by
the colour’snatural, purefeeling.
My personalinterpretation to the photograph is that there’s a strong, in-depthmessage
within the photograph as the features; light contrast, the use of white and the repletion
of the cigarette, helps to inform this message to the viewer. In additionally, Ilike how
the camera is set up, as there is a sense of personality with the close up of Alexander
McQueen. And this piece is an inspiration to my work in creating a relationship between
the visualsand the ‘hidden’meaningof my own photography pieces.