Most famed for her photographs of punk music and fashion industry, Sheila Rock revealed a shift in her personal work, with this 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.

"I often create a studio on location and portray the horse like icons or symbols. My years as a portrait photographer made me create a space where the horse and I could interact. I try to capture an expression, the movement that shows off the grace of their being. My pictures are aimed to represent the spirit of the horse, the invisible quality that makes them unique.”
- Sheila Rock

About Sheila Rock

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.