Tin Man

Creative Direction: Marne Schwartz
Photography: Vladimir Martí
Stylist: Laura Brown
Fashion Assistant: Imogene Legrand
Words: Andrew Nagy

Picture this: you’re walking down the street and you catch a glimpse of something sparkling in the sunlight. Could be a coin, could be a piece of jewellery – doesn’t matter. What matters is that feeling that you get when you see it, that sudden rush of excitement and possibility. That’s the power of silver. It’s like a little piece of magic in the palm of your hand. But still, some people might think that silver is just a chunk of metal. Something shiny and flashy. You know what? They’re flat wrong. Silver has a deeper meaning. A mystique that grabs you by the soul and refuses to let go. Silver has staying power as well as dazzle. Maybe that’s down to experience? You see, If there’s one thing about silver it’s that It has been there and done that. Silver, man. Silver has seen some stuff.

From the depths of the earth to the far reaches of the galaxy, silver has travelled farther than any of us could ever dream, and yet it always maintains its ability to relate and resonate. Silver has wisdom – make no mistake about that. Egypt, Rome, Greece; silver has seen those empires rise and fall, kings crowned and dethroned. It’s watched as civilisations have crumbled into dust and new ones rose from the ashes. All that time, through all that struggle, silver remained the backbone, the allure. Silver was witness to the tides of history. But here’s the thing: this most precious of metal is no mere spectator. It’s a catalyst for change and transformation. Silver has the power to elevate mundanities. Sure, silver has powered armies, but just look at how it catches the light, how it dances and glimmers like a celestial being. It’s poetry in motion, a symphony of silver singing the praises of life itself.

And you know about silver’s purity, right? It’s got an innocence. That’s pretty rare in this world. Back in the Middle Ages people noticed that if you kept water in a silver jug, as opposed to a wooden one, the water would stay fresh for way longer than usual. Those bacteria-killing ions sparked mythology and folklore.

Although silver holds great power, it’s neutral, too. Part of a metallic netherworld. And when you drain away the wider colour of a scene you see its purity up close and raw. Like a cinematographer telling their story through shade and light alone, before any words have even been uttered. It’s the simple beauty of the Tin Man before the unnecessary distraction of the Yellow Brick Road. Not that this blank canvas can’t take some colour, of course. Sure it can. Silver is often just waiting to be painted with meaningful shade. It doesn’t judge, it doesn’t discriminate – it’s whatever you want it to be. Whatever you need it to be.

Look, maybe this is all waxing poetic about a little piece of metal. But you know what? Silver isn’t just a metal, it’s a state of mind. Silver is power and passion. A bright memory in the mind’s fog, the final act of preparation by the social butterfly. It’s a reminder that no matter how dark the night may seem, there’s always a silver lining waiting to be found.

“TIN MAN” IS FEATURED IN THE 12TH EDITION OF ICON PRINT MAGAZINE. ORDER YOUR COPY HERE.