Gillian Wearing. 

Wearing is known mostly for her "Signs that say what you want them to say, not signs that say what someone else wants you to say." (1992-92) Wearing has acknowledged the influence of 1970s English fly-on-the-wall documentaries such as Michael Apted's 7-Up, and many of her works have a similar concern with discovering details about individuals. 

She has said -

   "I'm always trying to find ways of discovering new things about people, and in the process discover more about myself."

Her films and photographs explore our public personas and private lives, this turner prize winner's portraits and mini-dramas reveal a paradox, given the chance to dress up, put on a mask or act out a role, the liberation of anonymity allows us to be more truly ourselves.

Her work explores the differences between public and private life, the individual and society, voyeurism and exhibitionism, and fiction and fact.  She has described her method as-

"Editing Life"

Shortly after graduating from Goldsmiths College, Wearing began Signs That Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say (1992–93). To produce this series of some six hundred color photographs, she approached people on the streets of London, requested that they write a sentence or phrase on a piece of paper, and then photographed them displaying their thoughts.  

My work was ifluenced by Wearing right off of the block, that she wants to know about people, or she is just nosy to some degree. My work wanted peoples opinions, though after a meagre turn out with my thoughts box I have decided that I want to be a bit more full on with the public but leave the idea of annonimity. Though it would have been dreadfully simple to "copy" Wearing well known work I have wanted to be subtle in taking from it. I love her work, always been a fan it talks about the little man, or rather the little man talks. She has done much work about "heroes" for example a hoodie who is actually a young police cadet or a women who helped at 9/11. 

It was just a quick one :)