The Controversy of Tyler Shield's Birkin Photos

Have you seen this picture?

Photo © Tyler Shields

The picture depicted a red crocodile leather Hermes (pronounce: air-maze) Birkin handbag that cost around USD100k, being chainsawed, burned and chainsawed again while its burning. It cause such a stir in US and generally fashion fanatics around the world.

Kalau kita di KK, paling2 pun kita cakap: "tu lah kerja orang kaya yang tidak tau mana mau simpan duit. Jadi daripada dia bakar duit, dia bakar barang dia yang mahal." atau "wah! USD100k! Bagus bagi saya tu duit." atau "duit dia, dia punya pasal lah mau buat apa." ataupun juga "itu pun mau gambar ka?"
Macam2 yang orang kita akan cakap kecuali condemning the photographer or the model in the picture. (The girl in one of the pictures is the daughter of Clint Eastwood, if you didn't know)

People had been saying how it's not art, waste of money, how Tyler Shield (photographer) could use the money to feed the poor, disrespect of the fashion, how picture depicted violence, how animals are dying just to make this bag and then some disgust person do something like this to the dead animal blah blah blah.

When I saw how people had condemning Tyler Sheild and his photography he called art, I just don't understand it. No matter how I hard I try to understand, I just can't. It his damn property to burn, so why the fuss? Though I understand that the fuss is probably because he is a public figure so people have some stereotypes that public figure should do more charity rather than wasting their money. I doubt that he will get any attention if he is not a public figure.

When people said those picture are not art, I disagree. Everything in this world is art. Technology is a kind of art. Emotions are some type of art. The weather, mother nature, flora and fauna, natural disaster, greenery,  valley, human, animals etc. Those are art too. Shield's Birkin photos are considered art. Its depends on the person that view it to understand the art behind it.

To me, Shield is trying to show how violence and disaster can both destructive to such beauty in this feral world. How wo/men are feral slaves for the fashion industry. How fashion could kill anything in exchange for luxury. How fashion is worthless if it is destroyed. How luxury can become crap in a whim of destruction. Etcetera.

To the person who talk about animal get killed to make this Birkin bag and Shield had just waste on the life of the dead animal for some stupid art. I want to ask, if the animal is already dead, is it look so wrong to destroy it? Aren't we should praise Shield for his effort to destroy product made out of animal part to condemn the animal slaughtering industry. Just saying.

Shield could donate the USD100k rather than doing so pathetic art. That might be true. But he can also sell the photos and donate he money for charity, right?

Did you know? 

Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Binti Mansor is a fan 

and an avid Hermes Birkin handbag collector!