Fine art Taylor-Johnson began exhibiting fine-art photography in the early 1990s. One collaboration with
Henry Bond, titled
26 October 1993, featured Bond and Taylor-Johnson reprising the roles of
Yoko Ono and
John Lennon in a
pastiche of the photo-portrait made by photographer
Annie Leibovitz—a few hours before
Lennon was assassinated, in 1980. In 1994, she exhibited a multi-screen video work titled
Killing Time, in which four people mimed to an opera score. From that point multi-screen video works became the main focus of her work. Beginning with the video works
Travesty of a Mockery and
Pent-Up in 1996. One of Taylor-Johnson's first United Kingdom solo shows was held at the
Chisenhale Gallery, east London, in September–October 1996. She was nominated for the annual
Turner Prize in 1998. She won the Illy Café Prize for Most Promising Young Artist at the 1997
Venice Biennale. In 2000, she created a wraparound photomural around scaffolding of the London department store
Selfridges while it was being restored; the mural featured 21 cultural icons including
Elton John, musician
Alex James, and actors
Richard E. Grant and
Ray Winstone. The poses of the figures referenced famous works of art from the past and recent movies. The following year, she photographed the cover and sleeve for John's 2001 album
Songs From the West Coast. In 2002, Taylor-Johnson was commissioned by the
National Portrait Gallery to make
David, a video portrait of
David Beckham—whom she depicted sleeping. She is perhaps best known for her work entitled 'Crying Men' which features many of Hollywood's
glitterati crying, including
Robin Williams,
Sean Penn,
Laurence Fishburne and
Paul Newman. In 2006, she had a survey exhibition at the
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in
Gateshead, England. 2014 saw a new photographic exhibition by Taylor-Johnson, of the private apartment of Mademoiselle Chanel at
The Saatchi Gallery. Entitled ‘Second Floor,' the series of 34 photographs captured the private rooms of
Coco Chanel at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris.
Nowhere Boy In August 2008, she was chosen to direct
Nowhere Boy, a biopic about the childhood of
John Lennon. Speaking about her experience directing the film, in September 2010. The 53rd annual
London Film Festival screened the film as its closing presentation on 29 October 2009. The film was released in the UK on Boxing Day in 2009 to positive reviews. she was nominated for a
BAFTA award on 21 January 2010.
Other music, film and television work In her 2004 film installation "Strings" at White Cube, ballet dancer
Ivan Putrov was suspended by a harness above four musicians playing the slow movement from
Tchaikovsky's Second String Quartet, filmed in the Crush Bar of the Royal Opera House. In 2006, she contributed the short film
Death Valley to the British version of
Destricted. In July 2006 she was appointed as a Governor of the
British Film Institute. In 2008, she directed a short film
Love You More, written by
Patrick Marber and produced by
Anthony Minghella. The film includes two songs by the
Buzzcocks and features a cameo appearance by the band's lead singer
Pete Shelley. In February 2009, Taylor-Wood, collaborating with
Sky Arts chose to interpret "
Vesti la giubba" from
Pagliacci. In 2011, she directed the
R.E.M. music video "
Überlin". The clip starred her then-fiancé Aaron Johnson, who "throws some kung-fu kicks, attempts some pirouettes, prances, punches the air, chicken walks, tries out some bunny impressions, and, at one point, fondles his bottom". In September 2011, she collaborated with
Solange Azagury-Partridge on the short film
Daydream. This was aired to support the launch of Azagury-Partridge's new jewellery collection, 24:7. Under the direction of Taylor-Wood,
Liberty Ross plays a beautiful woman in her bedroom, bejewelled by her lover, played by
JJ Feild. The original music was composed by Oscar winner
Atticus Ross, and the director of photography was
John Mathieson. Taylor-Johnson directed the
film adaptation of
E. L. James' erotic novel,
Fifty Shades of Grey, made by
Universal Pictures and
Focus Features. Taylor-Johnson was in pole position to direct
Fifty Shades Darker (the sequel to
Fifty Shades of Grey), but decided to walk away from the much-discussed franchise after she was involved in a number of disagreements with author E.L. James. In June 2017, Taylor-Johnson said that she regretted directing the first film. In July 2022, it was announced that the feature film
Back to Black, a biopic based on the life and career of British singer
Amy Winehouse would be directed by Taylor-Johnson. Filming for the project commenced in January 2023 in London. == Personal life ==