Margaret Salmon was born in Suffern, New York. She studied photography at The School of Visual Arts, New York, and the Royal College of Art. She lives and works in New York and Whitstable.

Group exhibitions include New Contemporaries, Venice Biennale, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hayward Touring, Berlin Biennale, BFI London Film Festival. Solo exhibitions include Witte de With, Rotterdam, Whitechapel Gallery, London, Contemporary Art Museum, St Louis.