Hysteria

The face of the woman in “Hysteria” displays extreme emotion. There are no sounds, so the viewer cannot be sure whether the subject is moved by joy or despair or perhaps both. Taylor-Wood explained she wanted to amalgamate these two opposed emotional states and blur the difference between them to such a degree that they would become the same thing. The emotional turmoil of the actress is meant to infect the implied spectator who is unable to distance themsleves from the unnerving expression of an intense emotional outburst because it defies labelling, thus launching us into confusion.
I like Taylor-Woods intentions here, and in a world dominated by the spoken language, we can actually read more from a person by their body language and facial expressions. The fact that this piece has a great ambiguity to it also makes it more intruiging to watch and figure out our own conclusions from it.