houston | the puppet master.

he's one of the more influential commercial photographers of the last decade, and his digitally manipulated portraiture and advertisements for clients like showtime, nike, coca-cola and ESPN are ubiquitous. outkast, dennis leary and chef jamie oliver (the latter hung upside down like a slab of beef in a butcher's quarters) have been the subject of jim fiscus' lens.

then there are those who attempt to mimic his trademark style (read: art school graduates everywhere). but this past spring, jim fiscus, 45, who lives his wife and two-year-old son in athens, georgia, turned his attention to a personal project—a photographic short story that took cues from fashion. "i've been kicking this dark pinocchio thing around in my head for eight years," says fiscus of the story's main character, a woodworker who carves life-size dolls of the same woman over and over again in an attempt to bring her to life. to articulate his illustrated narrative, fiscus pulled together a dream team of set and costume designers, stylists and makeup artists. save a few vintage pieces rented from a movie-studio wardrobe department, almost every element of the NYC set, from the costumes to the cobblestones, was meticulously handmade. the 11-frame experiment, which integrates computer-generated imagery and traditional photography and is titled the unfortunate moment of misunderstanding, was showcased to acclaim in june at M project gallery, new york.

it's only a matter of time before fiscus joins the gilded pantheon of cult fashion photographers. jim fiscus. works available online at www.fiscusphoto.com