Guy Hepner Gallery

Tyler Shields Chainsaw Birkin II For Sale

Tyler Shields
Tyler Shields - Chainsaw Birkin II, 2012, Digital c print

Chainsaw Birkin II, 2012

Digital c print

22.5 x 30 Inches 30 x 40 Inches 45 x 60 Inches 54 x 72 Inches

Edition

Edition of 3

About this work

Tyler Shields' Chainsaw Birkin II (2012) is a digital C-print from The Dirty Side of Glamour series, issued as an edition of 3 and available in four sizes from 22.5 × 30 to 54 × 72 inches. One of the artist's most iconic and widely discussed images, it epitomizes the central argument of The Dirty Side of Glamour: that beauty and danger, luxury and destruction, are not opposites but intimate companions deeply embedded in the cultural logic of desire. The image places a chainsaw in direct confrontation with one of the most coveted luxury handbags in the world—two objects representing radically opposed registers of culture and value. Shields brings them together with theatrical precision, creating a photograph that is simultaneously shocking and beautiful, a critique of luxury, an act of iconoclasm, and an acknowledgment of its own fascination with the very objects it interrogates. This productive contradiction gives the image its extraordinary sustained charge. Created in 2012, when Shields was at his most inventive and provocative, Chainsaw Birkin II remains one of the defining works in his oeuvre and one of the most recognizable images from The Dirty Side of Glamour. For collectors seeking an artwork with genuine historical significance within contemporary photography, this image represents a rare opportunity to acquire a picture that has shaped the conversation about glamour, transgression, and the aesthetics of luxury. The Dirty Side of Glamour brought Shields international recognition and remains foundational to his artistic legacy—a series that reshaped conversations about glamour, transgression, and the possibilities of fine art photography.

Price on Application

Auction History

Tyler Shields

· Tyler Shields · Sotheby's · 2016-05 · $18,338

Tyler Shields - Hermes Birkin, Gator, Hands

Hermes Birkin, Gator, Hands · Tyler Shields · Auctionata · 2015-02 · $4,320

Tyler Shields - Christian Louboutins´s Pink Barbie Pumps

Christian Louboutins´s Pink Barbie Pumps · Tyler Shields · Auctionata · 2014-12 · $0

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Chainsaw Birkin II

About Tyler Shields

Tyler Shields was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and began his creative career as a professional inline skater, competing in the X Games and touring with Tony Hawk before shifting his focus to photography. His early photographs gained attention online, and a chance viral image helped launch his career as a photographer working within the Hollywood entertainment world.

Shields is known for bold, provocative photography that blends glamour with elements of tension, danger, and destruction, often incorporating rich color, dramatic lighting, and meticulously staged scenes. His work frequently explores contrasts between beauty and chaos, using striking visual concepts, from vivid color explosions to scenes built around luxury objects, to create images that are both polished and unsettling. He has photographed a wide range of actors and public figures throughout his career, always aiming for a cinematic, tightly composed final image captured in camera rather than through digital manipulation.

Beyond photography, Shields has worked as a filmmaker, screenwriter, and author, publishing both photography books and fiction. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in private and public collections, and he continues to be based in Los Angeles.

Guy Hepner works with collectors seeking Tyler Shields's bold, cinematic photography. Contact us to discuss available inventory or to inquire about upcoming releases.

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