Sam Taylor-Wood

Sam Taylor-Wood (born 1967) is an English photographer, filmmaker, and visual artist. She is best known for her photographic works that explore the relationship between photography and film.

Taylor-Wood was born in London in 1967. She studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, graduating in 1990. After graduating, she began to experiment with photography and film, creating works that explored the relationship between the two mediums. Her early works included a series of photographs of people sleeping, which she later turned into a short film entitled Sleep (1998).

In 2000, Taylor-Wood was nominated for the Turner Prize for her video installation titled "Still Life". The work featured a series of photographs taken from different angles of a still life set up in her studio. The work was praised for its exploration of time and movement within a static image.

In 2003, Taylor-Wood directed her first feature film Nowhere Boy (2009), which tells the story of John Lennon's teenage years growing up in Liverpool. The film was critically acclaimed and earned Taylor-Wood numerous awards including Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards and Best Director at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

Taylor-Wood has also directed music videos for artists such as Take That, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams and David Bowie. In 2008 she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to art.

Taylor-Wood continues to create photographic works that explore themes such as identity, gender roles and mortality. Her work has been exhibited internationally including at Tate Britain in London and MoMA in New York City.