Tacita Dean

The work of Tacita Dean consists primarily of 16mm films and sound pieces in which process, transformation, and coincidences play vital roles. Static camera positions and long takes are characteristic of her films, creating a sense of stillness in their moving images. Her methods are highly flexible: she allows chance to intervene during the phases of preparation, filming, sound recording, and editing in such a way that she continually finds new directions for her work to take, instead of directing it with rigidity. Her films merge fact and fiction. Both the physical world and our private worlds are depicted, with the relationship between them central to the work. She often employs the coastline and sea as a motif in her work, suggesting a fascination with the elemental idea of the sublime. This first monograph on her work accompanies a show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, and will be a welcome introduction to a young artist whose work has earned her significant praise.