Gillian Wearing - 'Signs That Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Want you To Say'

A business man with slick hair and a slick suit may seem to be happy and to have it 'made'. But underneath there is something sinister, he is desperate. Just look under the surface and you dont know what you will face. Gillian Wearing is more of an artist than a photographer. She is a concept artist and a good one at that. She simply uses photography as a tool for communicating her mind. The work which I am focusing on is 'Signs That Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants you To Say'. This is an extroadinary piece of work focusing on the inner-self. No body is who they seem and Wearing knows this well. Wearing walked down a street and asked people to write how they feel, there truths, aspirations and wants, also what is on their mind on a piece of white card, then hold it up to be photographed. This pioneering piece of work i think is incredible. It is something which was not thought of before and is soooo simple but soooo easy to empathise with. I have things which I have under the surface and which i will never tell anyone and which i dont want anyone to know but Gillian Wearing breaks down this wall, she abolishes secrecy and allows these people to really express themselves. She is someone who every keen photographer and artist should know. For her work on the Tate website click here.