Sam Taylor-Wood likes to bend the rules of time and space. Her photographs and films show dancers defying gravity, animals decaying at rapid speed, and people singing without making a sound. These creations redefine the role of the image in a media-driven age.
Background
The art of the performer pervades Sam Taylor- Wood's work. As a child, Sam's recently divorced mother moved her family into a hippie commune.
But Sam rebelled against the notion of escaping from the wider world. She would develop a style of art that confronted popular culture directly.
From her early days as an artist, Taylor-Wood has used her own self-portrait to explore larger issues of body image and stereotyped female roles.
Career
Taylor-Wood has long had close connections to the world of professional performers. She has photo¬graphed many celebrities, including actors Benicio Del Toro and Hayden Christensen. One of her most offbeat portraits captures star athlete David Beckham asleep, a nod to the Pop Art films of Andy Warhol. Taylor-Wood has also used movie stars in short films that draw parallels between iconic symbols and modern celebrity.