Gillian Wearing

Gillian Wearing is an English photographer and video artist who describes her working method as 'editing life'. Using photography and video to record confessions of ordinary people, her work explores the difference between public and private life.


Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say (1992–3) was made by approaching people on the streets of London, asking them to write their thoughts on a card and then taking a photograph of them with the card. Their private lives were given a revealing exposure, for example a policeman holds up a card saying, 'Help!'. There is an interesting mix of random thoughts across the series of photographs. Wearing challenges social stereotypes and assumptions, giving individuals the platform for self-expression.


Wearing helps the viewer to connect with the person in the photograph, giving them an idea of what they are like, for example, their views, opinions and beliefs. After viewing the photographs, I walked away thinking about the different people and what their thoughts were. One example is a photograph of a businessman in a suit holding up the sign, 'I'm desperate'. What is it that this man needed? What happened to him after the picture was taken? I like these photographs because of Wearing's use of public interaction, stripping away their privacy and exposing their intimate thoughts.



Gillian Wearing
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say
'I signed on and the would not give me nothing' 1992-93




Gillian Wearing
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say
'Everything is connected in life the point is to know it and understand it' 1992-93





Gillian Wearing
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say
'Work towards world peace' 1992-93



Gillian Wearing
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say
'Help' 1992-93

Gillian Wearing

Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say

'I'm Desperate' 1992-93