A Little Life, A Little Death Looking at Sam Taylor Wood

Summary

In this captivating presentation, Sandi Robertson delves into the incredible work of artist Sam Taylor-Wood, also known as Sam Taylor-Johnson, focusing on her still life series. The transcript explores themes of life, death, and decay, revealing the depth and symbolic nature of Taylor-Wood's art. Known for her significant contributions to the UK art scene since the early 1990s, Taylor-Wood's work is both poignant and provocative, inviting viewers to ponder their own perceptions of mortality. Through her exploration of still life, influenced by Dutch Golden Age paintings, Taylor-Wood challenges traditional ideas, encouraging audiences to find beauty in decay and the inevitable passage of time. This presentation uncovers the layers of meaning and historical references in her art, while also reflecting on personal and universal themes of existence.

Highlights

• Sam Taylor-Wood, also known as Sam Taylor-Johnson, is a prominent figure in the UK art scene, known for her unique blend of modern and traditional art elements. 🎨
• Her work, including themes of life and decay, often invites viewers to confront uncomfortable feelings towards mortality. 💀
• Taylor-Wood’s still life works are richly symbolic, exploring themes of time, beauty, and inevitability through the lens of decay. ⏳
• The use of the blue biro in her still life setups highlights the passage of time and offers a modern twist to classic motifs. 🖌️
• Her personal experiences, including surviving cancer, deeply inform her art, making her exploration of mortality feel both personal and universal. 🌱

Key Takeaways

• Sam Taylor-Wood is renowned for her thoughtful exploration of life and death through still life art, echoing themes of decay and inevitable passage in her work. 💀
• Her work is heavily influenced by Dutch Golden Age paintings, often comparing modern and traditional elements for a timeless narrative. 🎨
• The blue biro in her still life works is a clever anachronism that grounds the pieces in their time while transcending it. 🖊️
• 'A Little Death' explores the unsettling but universal theme of decay, drawing a connection between art and human mortality. 🍑
• Sam Taylor-Wood’s personal health battles influence her profound connections to the themes of mortality and decay in her artworks. 💪

Overview

Sam Taylor-Wood’s creative prowess and ability to weave traditional and contemporary themes set her apart as a leading figure in modern art. Her work is notably influenced by the Dutch Golden Age, utilizing these historical references to explore timeless themes of life and decay. With a playful yet poignant approach, Taylor-Wood invites viewers to see the beauty in inevitable transformation, encouraging a deeper understanding of human mortality through visual storytelling.

By integrating modern elements like a blue biro into her still life pieces, Taylor-Wood superbly bridges the gap between the past and present, challenging viewers to reassess the concepts of time and beauty. Her works, such as 'A Little Death,' are as much about the aesthetic transformation as they are about the viewer’s personal reflection on decay. The careful attention to detail and context offers an engaging narrative that extends beyond the confines of traditional art norms.

Taylor-Wood's personal journey and experiences with illness lend an authentic touch to her works on mortality, making them resonate on a more profound level. Her portrayal of decaying fruit alongside fresh produce underscores the transient nature of life, echoing her own challenges and triumphs. Through her art, Taylor-Wood not only examines her personal struggles with illness but also universal themes of life and death, creating an evocative dialogue with her audience.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Sam Taylor-Wood The chapter introduces Sam Taylor-Wood, highlighting her famous still life works. It mentions the play on words in her titles, such as 'A Little Light, A Little Death.' The speaker notes that many may know her better by her married name, Sam Taylor-Johnson. She has been a significant figure in the UK art scene since the early 1990s and is highly respected.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Sam Taylor-Wood's Achievements and Works Sam Taylor-Wood has been acknowledged both by the public and her peers as a nominee for the Turner Prize. She has received numerous accolades and has been commissioned for significant projects. One notable collaboration was with Selfridges, where she designed a photographic scene for a building refurbishment. Her work was displayed on large awnings around the scaffolding. Additionally, she is recognized as a film director.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Film Directing and Notable Works The chapter titled 'Film Directing and Notable Works' highlights the career of a noted director known for mainstream success with films such as 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' a project she later expressed regret about. Despite this, the film expanded her audience reach significantly. She's also recognized for directing a film titled 'Nowhere Boy,' notable for being the project where she met her husband, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Her directing style is praised for its humane portrayal of life's central themes.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Moving Image Work and Still Life The chapter discusses the artistic work of Sam Taylor-Wood, specifically highlighting her moving image work from 2001. The presentation of her work is noted as sensitive, sometimes humorous, and often very playful. It includes a YouTube film that was initially paired with music added by the presenter. This is set within a gallery context, providing insights into her creative style and choices.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Analysis of Still Life Work The chapter titled 'Analysis of Still Life Work' delves into a detailed examination of a moving image, noting its lack of sound and the visible still image on the screen. The discussion highlights the inclusion of a significant object—a blue broom—within the image, emphasizing its importance. This object serves as a symbolic device used by taylor-wood, harking back to the traditions of Dutch still life painting. The chapter underscores how such incidental-seeming objects hold substantial artistic value and connection to historical art conventions.
• 07:00 - 08:00: A Little Death and Health Challenges The chapter, titled 'A Little Death and Health Challenges', appears to discuss the juxtaposition of historical and contemporary elements. It references imagery from the 16th and 17th centuries and contrasts this with a modern artifact, a blue biro, which indicates the image was created in 2001. This blending of eras highlights the changes and continuity between the past and the present within the context of the chapter's themes, likely tying into broader discussions around mortality and health challenges.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Exploration of Art Themes and Imagery The chapter, 'Exploration of Art Themes and Imagery', discusses various elements in a film. The focus is on observing imagery without the distraction of sound, emphasizing the importance of visual analysis.
• 09:00 - 12:00: Vanitas and Dutch Golden Age Influence The chapter discusses how the gallery recorded a video focusing closely on a bowl or plate of fruit, reflecting a still image as the camera remains stationary. This style is influenced by the Dutch Golden Age, particularly in its technique of vanitas painting. The inclusion of a blue bar in the video is noted as fundamental for contextual appreciation, suggesting a specific time frame during which the gallery or artwork is being viewed.
• 13:00 - 16:00: Symbolism in Sam Taylor-Wood's Art In this chapter, the focus is on the symbolism present in Sam Taylor-Wood's art. The discussion revolves around the initial perception of her artwork by viewers, particularly in a gallery setting. It suggests that while people may think they understand the art after just a few seconds and are ready to move on, there is value in observing it for a longer period. One of Taylor-Wood's pieces is highlighted, where a plate of fruit undergoes changes over time, transforming the initial impression. This change symbolizes the core thematic elements of her work, emphasizing that appearances can be deceiving and warrant deeper reflection.
• 16:00 - 19:00: Practical Task and Conclusion The chapter "Practical Task and Conclusion" discusses the concept of transformation and decay, particularly in art. It explores how artists have historically addressed challenging themes, such as death, through their work. Although it may seem like simple subjects (like a plate of fruit) are portrayed, they are symbolic of deeper themes of decay and the inevitable passage of time.

A Little Life, A Little Death Looking at Sam Taylor Wood Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hi everyone today I'm going to talk to you about Sam taylor-wood and especially her still life work and I've titled my presentation a little light a little death because that's a play on words from some of her titles or the work I'm gonna show you and lots of you may already know things about some tailor returning knows she's better known as Sam taylor-johnson that's her married name and she's been really prominent in the UK art scene since the early 1990s and she's well regarded not just by the
• 00:30 - 01:00 the general viewing public but also by her peers she's a Turner Prize nominee and she's won lots of accolades and also very large commissions very well known and well regarded commissions so she's worked and West that were in collaboration with Selfridges she designed the photographic scene the rapper end scene that went around a building as it was being refurbished that was put on huge kind of awnings around the scaffold and she's also well known as a film director now and some of
• 01:00 - 01:30 you may recognize her name from the credits for example of Fifty Shades of Grey which much is she regretted directing and did place her in a much more mainstream audience she's also famous for having directed a film called no we're a boy and that's actually where she met her husband Aaron taylor-johnson and and she's very skilled at showing us things of life that are kind of like the central themes of life in a way that's very humane
• 01:30 - 02:00 sensitive sometimes humorous and her work is often very playful so um I'm going to show you some of her moving image work the first one is from 2001 know the the YouTube film that I've been able to pull to put on this presentation was originally accompanied by some music the the youtuber had put music with it in the gallery setting Sam taylor-wood
• 02:00 - 02:30 didn't have any sound with this particular moving image and also if you look at the still image down at the bottom of the screen just now you can see that we can see the entirety of up later for and also one other very important yet incidental seeming object which is a blue by room now that's a very useful and interesting device for taylor-wood to include in such a scene I've seen like this harks back to conventions of still life particularly Dutch still life
• 02:30 - 03:00 in the Golden Age and there in the 17th 16th 17th century and but that blue biro of course contextualizes the time in which this image was made there we can see it's from 2001 but without that blue viral being there even though we're looking at a moving image which of course contextualizes it as something that is from a contemporary paradigm it says to us that I'm we're in 2001 when
• 03:00 - 03:30 we're looking at this that it's a fascinating element to include if I start at the film as I said I'm going to show you it with no sound because otherwise it's quite distracting and I want you if you can to really stay with this image for as long as possible and so we're seeing the fruit the the filmmaker I suspect would have been in a
• 03:30 - 04:00 gallery recording this as it was playing which is why we've got that cropped down or zoomed in view on the bowl of fruit or the plate of fruit when in the original the camera doesn't move about it doesn't sway it just stays in really one position and of course the inclusion of that blue bar as we know as I've said it's fundamental to our appreciation of the time frame the contextual time frame in which we are viewing
• 04:00 - 04:30 fascinatingly in a gallery I think a lot of people after the first four or five seconds actually think that they know what it is and therefore they move on but in this piece of really pays to stay for as long as possible because as you can see gradually know there are things starting to happen to that plate of fruit which changes it from what we saw at the beginning and of course that's the point of this really is we're looking at something
• 04:30 - 05:00 changing over time we're also viewing something that quite literally through its process of transformation is leading us to death and that is something dealt with by artists always artists have always been good about looking at really difficult subjects and this subject matter is difficult so yes we're only looking at a plate of fruit but souza decay and the
• 05:00 - 05:30 decimation of that fruit we're reminded of something that makes us feel deeply uncomfortable and often very afraid so back to the blue viral just for a second 2001 that blue biome sits upon the surface it doesn't move it sets us in tiny yet the time we look at is passing and we know that though we're observing this plate of fruit over only 4 minutes that actually the duration of this
• 05:30 - 06:00 process lasts a lot longer than four minutes I mean if we were actually with this plate of for it we would have to stay with it for many days perhaps even weeks for us to see the full intensity of what we can see by the end of this moving image and here also whilst we've you know we are viewing from whatever period in time we are viewing from so I'm sitting here in 2020 looking at a piece of art artwork from 2001 that also takes its references from
• 06:00 - 06:30 things from the 17th century and likewise all the time I'm looking at something that has its own elements of the timeless because fruit has always rotted organic shapes organic forms rather organic matter has always gone to nothing and something I've mentioned in
• 06:30 - 07:00 a previous presentation that I would urge you to think about is that when we started looking at this plate of fruit we were looking at something that was abundant and to fall on colourful and when we look at it in its final throes of its decay do we see something that's simply good text or do we allow ourselves also to see a new beauty or rather do we allow ourselves to see beauty afresh because
• 07:00 - 07:30 our minds obviously tell us here's a plate of rotten fruit and that's disgusting but actually when we look at it as what it is the colors textures the way we are able to see what we can see is and it's only right still truthful beautiful poignant maybe and I'm gonna give a bit of a disclaimer for the next slight and I would advise you that if you are really
• 07:30 - 08:00 squeamish probably to skip forward in the presentation at this point because the next moving image I'm going to show you includes animal flesh so if I change the slave knife this particular piece is called a little dead the title is very playful a little death can it be so bad and it's from the year after still life so it's from 2002 um I think it's right to mention though that Sam taylor-wood
• 08:00 - 08:30 has faced many challenges with her health and her life and without being overly dramatic about it she has had cancer twice she has survived cancer twice but I would assume and this is only my assumption that someone who faces that kind of adversity really stares death down they look death in the eye that's very difficult for most people to do as I said earlier any new artists have always dealt with very difficult topics and the arts generally
• 08:30 - 09:00 do poets and novelists visual artists we're all in this business and also by the way musicians I would argue we're all in this business of drawing people into a space of things that can be quite challenging because we we want to explore them we are exploring them through these particular scenes or sounds and so a
• 09:00 - 09:30 little death if I play again I'm going to remind you that where we are looking it is also paired on the YouTube clip I've taken with with sound of music I want us to focus really on what we're looking at and as a as a dialogue really about time we are looking at similar functions to what we saw in the still
• 09:30 - 10:00 life piece we're looking at a larger object or a smaller object where one thing ages faster than the other or rather decays faster than the other and this I think heightens our sense of that unease when we look at this I think a lot of people though their attention is gripped perhaps more than with the plate of fruit because the change is occurring and not hair and occur more quickly so
• 10:00 - 10:30 we can see something is happening and let's face it humans are drawn to sensation and nonetheless I think a lot of people would choose probably to look away because they are the past well and I understand that but I also have to admit that I'm drawn to this I'm drawn to looking at this it's not because I'm obsessed with the macabre or re enjoy seeing something that is disrespected
• 10:30 - 11:00 and death but because I appreciate that this is an inevitability what we're looking at is inevitability the inevitability of death and also something to make us feel uncomfortable is that the fact the peach and all the world is a peach the peach stays kind of pure or uncorrupted by decayed tells us that that hair that flesh that meat rots
• 11:00 - 11:30 incredibly quickly now we are sitting here as lumps of meat why are we making a connection in our minds of get very hesitantly and uncomfortably that we are over in a blink of an eye relative to the greater scheme of time visually Sam taylor-wood is a very clever well informed and educated artist she knows that there are references and nests that come directly from 17th
• 11:30 - 12:00 century painting even over time if we were to take each segment of this film as freeze frames and actually she did shoot this as photographs on 35ml to begin with them and looked at or ran it through as a film and each frame has its own quality painterly quality the way that the the background changes with firkin of mold and beautification the way that the surface becomes covered and the colors everything is very much about
• 12:00 - 12:30 traditional still like painting and and also really the notions of vanity painting Vanitas painting prevalent in Holland in the 17th century it's very much about drawing our attention to what we think of are there our own demise of the early death because whether we're rich or poor or educated or not it's the
• 12:30 - 13:00 same fate for all living things now some people find that terrifying and other people find that deeply comforting it doesn't matter who you are we all have the same inevitability so as I said Sam taylor-wood smart lady she knows all these references she can see them and she would have studied Peter Christ who I've spoken about on
• 13:00 - 13:30 her mother from another presentation and she would also have known why for example seems like the hair is significant to her pulling her cancer treatment she did make a very famous photograph for single breasted suit with hair in direct response to having had a mastectomy I'm having a bunch of chemotherapy and using her hair so the hair is highly symbolic for her personally but also more broadly in
• 13:30 - 14:00 their you know annals of time and of our history things like the hair artists go back to hairs as symbols of fertility for example time and time again and if I ain't too forward to look at someone like comment and steam link he is very much part of that Dutch Golden Age of painting we can see one of there's still eight paintings on the moon little bears a hair I mean that's a painting of abundance it's in the painting of the
• 14:00 - 14:30 richest of wealth you know what kind of person feasts at this table again putting it into context of the time in which it was painted that's not the table of someone who's starving yet it's also painting about death those animals they're dead there are so many questions we could ask ourselves as humans about these kinds of values you know that we killed to eat that we kill to eat to
• 14:30 - 15:00 survive in a life that will ultimately end and Harmon Bernstein work you can see in the other image at the top the inclusion of the skull tells us definitely that is a vanity painting that is a painting that's dealing with human vanity in light of the ridiculousness of human vanity because let's face it where does it get us we're still going to die at the end of everything and we're looking at someone who's a highly skilled painter yes but
• 15:00 - 15:30 we're also looking at someone who's very sensitively doing our attention again to inevitability today but also to the journeys of life to the richness of life and I think something the mood is doing the same thing if you look at pizza class we're looking at some of the skull and the quill you know that quo is no different to peter
• 15:30 - 16:00 crisis the blue by Rose to Sam taylor-wood is speaking of its time in something that is not about time it's about the timeless speaking about our kind of petty values are human materialism in the face of something that is beyond the material so the task
• 16:00 - 16:30 think and write about your thoughts on some Taylor woods imagery and still life and a little death so you could compare her work to the Dutch and Van itas are still like painters that's an obvious link to make but I think what would be really clever is if you could also talk about the symbolism and some Taylor woods work more broadly and of course
• 16:30 - 17:00 what you think of it and why you think those things to really look at why when looking at some Taylor's woods work you felt a certain way to really explore and ultimately a guest understand why you're either drawn to or repelled from that imagery and the stretch and challenge of course you could create your own still life images that change over time now in
• 17:00 - 17:30 a practical way I would advise that if you are going to attempt that that you set it up somewhere that won't be disturbed for probably several days maybe over a week and that in these quite warm weather conditions we have just now you might find that you return to photograph that scene always from the same vantage point maybe three or four times a day it'd be really fascinating
• 17:30 - 18:00 to see if over time the things you thought Graff in your opinion adopt their own beauty and there are different stages each thing realises itself without having to worry about what was there before and what was there at the end or what will be at the end and as I've mentioned in another presentation you could also think that what is there at the beginning that beautiful abundant
• 18:00 - 18:30 fecund plate of fruit is of no more and no less importance than a decimated decayed rotted plate at the end unlike wiser every face every stage of the face from beginning to end we could find something of equal value and the value though the form changes over time
• 18:30 - 19:00 the value is that of beauty and of truth no matter when so I'm really looking forward to seeing what you produce in response to this and thank you for listening