Sheila Rock was born in the USA and studied at Boston University and the London Film School. She has lived and worked in London since 1970.
Describing herself as an ‘accidental photographer’, she became an influential force shaping the look of creative magazines like The FACE magazine. Rock’s portrait photography covers a wide spectrum of subjects. Ranging from the emergence of Punk and New Wave music, her striking portrait series of Horses, and her sensitive images of British holiday goers depicting a thoughtful portrait of the resolute spirit of British Summer Time.
Rock has exhibited extensively across Europe and Asia, and a selection of her photographs are now housed in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection in London. In addition to this rich body of work, Rock’s editorial and fashion work has appeared in numerous publications, including: Time Magazine, Elle, Glamour, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest and the Sunday Times.
Most famed for her photographs of the music and fashion industry, Rock’s book Punk: a Document of Punk from 1976-1980, was released in 2013 with subsequent exhibitions in Tokyo, China, Singapore, Taiwan and London. Recording the emergence of Punk and New Wave music in the 1970s and 80s, from the Cure to the Clash, from Siouxsie Sioux to the staff of Vivienne Westwood’s Sex shop, Rock records the raw energy and DIY ethos of a London right on the brink of a movement.
In the 90s, Rock revealed a shift in her personal work, producing an impressive portrait series of Horses. Powerful images with the dignity of a 19th century ‘Carte de Visite’, these black and white portraits capture the graceful intensity of her equestrian subjects. Several of Rock’s Horse Portraits have been acquired by Ralph Lauren Polo for their collection.
Sera – the way of the Tibetan Monk, Rock’s first book was published in 2004. Her most recent book Tough and Tender was published in 2015. She has exhibited widely, including in Liverpool, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Turin, New York City, Rotterdam and Paris.
