Born: January 19, 1954, Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA
Nationality: American
Style: Appropriation Art, Photography, Performance Art
Influences: Film noir, feminist theory, identity politics
"I'm trying to make images that are not about me, but about the culture that produces them."
Notable Artwork
Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980)
About Cindy Sherman
Born: January 19, 1954, Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA Nationality: American Style: Appropriation Art, Photography, Performance Art Influences: Film noir, feminist theory, identity politics Major Exhibitions: “Untitled Film Stills” (1977-1980), “Centerfolds” (1981), “History Portraits” (1988-1990) Quote: “I’m trying to make images that are not about me, but about the culture that produces them.”
Notable Artwork: Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980)
This series of black-and-white photographs features Sherman herself posing in various roles and settings that mimic the look of 1950s and 1960s Hollywood film stills. She is both the photographer and the subject, embodying various female stereotypes.
Significance
While Sherman does not directly copy existing images, she appropriates the style and conventions of film stills to explore themes of identity, representation, and the male gaze. Untitled Film Stills is a crucial work of feminist art and a key example of how appropriation can be used to critique and deconstruct cultural representations. It questions the authenticity of images and the construction of identity.