On Saturday, October 17, 2026, Tyler Shields came to Samuel Lynne Galleries in Dallas to launch The Book, his first monograph in nine years, and to open an exhibition of sixteen photographs. He signed copies through the evening, spoke to the room, and ended the night by taking a hammer to a real Hermès Birkin frozen inside a block of ice. The exhibition is on view at 1105 Dragon Street through November 4, 2026.

At a glance

• Exhibition: Tyler Shields Exhibition and Book Launch
• Opening: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 6 to 9 PM, with the artist in attendance
• On view: through November 4, 2026
• Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries, 1105 Dragon Street, Dallas, TX 75207
• The Book: 600 pages and nearly 600 photographs from two decades of work, printed and bound in Italy
• RSVPs: more than 900

Tyler Shields with the Ice Birkin at Samuel Lynne Galleries, October 17, 2026.

The Ice Birkin

At 6:15 PM a red Hermès Birkin, sealed inside a clear block of ice, was unveiled on a plinth in the middle of the gallery. It was a live version of his photograph Ice Birkin. For three hours guests circled it, close enough to touch it and with no way of reaching the bag inside.

At 9:20 PM Tyler picked up a hammer. The first strike sent ice across the floor, and he kept going in front of a packed room before handing the hammer to the guests nearest him. There was no rehearsal and no second take. If you were there, you saw it happen once.

The Birkin has run through his work for more than a decade. In 2012 he destroyed one with a chainsaw and then with fire, images that became part of The Dirty Side of Glamour, and his Indulgence series has returned to it again and again, from Ice Birkin to Money Birkin. In Dallas, the audience got to watch the idea happen in real time.

9:20 PM: the first strike.

The ice gives way.

The Book

The Book is the biggest publication of his career: 600 pages and nearly 600 photographs spanning twenty years, printed and bound in Italy. It is his first monograph since Provocateur: Photographs in 2017, and it brings together his best-known images with photographs that have never been shown publicly.

For most of the night Tyler sat at a signing table, dedicating copies one by one. Across the room, an entire wall of the gallery was papered with pages from the book, a preview of what sits between the covers.

Signing The Book, October 17, 2026.

The wall of pages from The Book.

On the walls

The exhibition brings together sixteen chromogenic prints on Kodak Endura Luster paper, from early work to photographs made this year.

• New in 2026: Cello, Under the Umbrella and Magnifying Glass.
• The lips: Lipstick in the Mouth, Smoke Lips II, Chanel Mouth, Glitter Pour and Strawberry.
• Cars and cinema: Ferrari Tire Change, Back of the Rolls, Tire Shop, On the Train and Tu Smoking on the Train.
• Also on view: Flat Iron, Glass and Mirrors and Umbrella in the City.

Each Tyler Shields photograph is released in a limited edition of three, plus two artist proofs, and most images are offered in more than one size. As his representing gallery, Samuel Lynne Galleries can advise on every work, edition and size in the exhibition. Arrange a private viewing.

The lips, one of the recurring subjects of his work.

Tyler Shields and Dallas

Tyler Shields was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1982. He competed as a professional inline skater at the X Games and directed music videos before moving into photography in the early 2000s. He lives and works in Los Angeles and shoots on film. Sotheby's has presented two selling exhibitions of his work: Dreaming Awake in London in 2021 and Decadent in Los Angeles in 2022.

Dallas is not new territory for him. He lived in North Texas in the late 1990s, and Samuel Lynne Galleries gave him his Texas debut in November 2013. He has shown here regularly since, including EXPOSED in 2024 and Visionary in 2025. Samuel Lynne Galleries represents him in Texas. Read more in our Artist of the Month feature on Tyler Shields.

Tyler Shields speaking to the room on October 17.

Visit the exhibition

• On view through November 4, 2026 at Samuel Lynne Galleries, 1105 Dragon Street, Dallas. Hours are Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.
• See every work on the exhibition page and on Tyler Shields' artist page.
• Copies of The Book. Contact the gallery to ask about availability.
• Next at the gallery. David Yarrow: Where Shadows Fall opens on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 6 to 9 PM.
• Earlier this season. In September the gallery presented the first public exhibition of Reflectionism. Read the Reflectionist Exhibition recap.

Questions about the exhibition

Is the Tyler Shields exhibition at Samuel Lynne Galleries still on view?
Yes. It is on view at 1105 Dragon Street, Dallas, through November 4, 2026, Monday to Friday 10 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 11 AM to 5 PM.

What is Tyler Shields' The Book?
The Book is a 600-page monograph of nearly 600 photographs from twenty years of his work, printed and bound in Italy and released in 2026. It is his first monograph since Provocateur: Photographs in 2017.

What was the Ice Birkin?
A real red Hermès Birkin sealed inside a block of ice and unveiled at the opening on October 17, 2026. At 9:20 PM Tyler Shields broke the ice open with a hammer in front of the guests.

Which gallery represents Tyler Shields in Dallas?
Samuel Lynne Galleries in the Dallas Design District represents Tyler Shields. The gallery gave him his Texas debut in 2013 and has shown his work regularly since.

Are Tyler Shields photographs limited editions?
Yes. Each image is released in a limited edition of three, plus two artist proofs, and most are offered in several sizes. Samuel Lynne Galleries can confirm which editions and sizes are available.

Photography by Chase Hall Photography. Sources: tylershields.com/about; tylershields.com/contact; Sotheby's, Tyler Shields: Dreaming Awake; Sotheby's, Tyler Shields: Decadent; CultureMap Dallas, 2013.