Tyler Shields’ Champagne Kiss (2013, Gelatin Silver Print) is a raw and electrifying image that embodies the artist’s signature blend of chaos, glamour, and intimacy. Captured in high-contrast black and white, the photograph depicts a couple locked in a passionate kiss, drenched in champagne as it sprays wildly across the frame. The effervescent explosion of liquid becomes both backdrop and protagonist, transforming a private moment into an ecstatic spectacle.

The composition is visceral and immediate—Shields freezes a fleeting instant of abandon, where luxury and lust collide. The champagne, often associated with celebration and decadence, here takes on a new dimension: messy, uncontrollable, and explosive, amplifying the intensity of human connection.

Champagne Kiss reflects Shields’ fascination with pushing emotional and visual extremes, offering a vision of desire that is both beautiful and chaotic. In its unpolished intensity, the photograph transcends fashion or portraiture, instead becoming a study of passion, indulgence, and the intoxicating volatility of love.

Chromogenic print
15 x 20 inches