Cindy Sherman Essay

1265 Words3 Pages

ARTIST/SUBJECTIVE
Cindy Sherman is a photographer, model and director who focuses on self-portraits that illustrate sexual stereotypes supported by the media. She is widely known for her feminist ideas expressed in her work. Born in New Jersey, January 19th, 1954 and studied at Buffalo State College, New York. She in fact failed her photography course and pursued painting. When she studied with Barbara Jo Revelle, a photography instructor, Sherman enjoyed the immediacy of photography compared to trying to paint perfectly. In 1977 Sherman started the series “Untitled Film Stills”, a set of sixty nine black and white photographs. They confronted the medias stereotypes. Now this body of work is her most known. She explores identity and femininity …show more content…

Sherman’s costume, and use of architecture is what made this photograph Sherman’s most successful. Critics often relate this image to the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Although Sherman has stated that her work never stemmed from any existing films. Photographed in black and white as Sherman wanted the series to be unison and also reflect that of a film. She Becomes unrecognisable as she plays this character. The photograph was taken on the streets of New York. She is focus point but she's not centred to show the Architecture in the background. Its rather a close up compared to some of her other works that show her whole body or waist …show more content…

She also questions the audiences assumptions and originality, and from being influenced by pop culture rather than fine art traditions, questions the art worlds views. At this time film stills were never recognised and artists never credited. Sherman’s success with her series changed how people viewed photography and also black and white photography.As colour had just boomed during this time, black and white was outdated. “Untitled Film Stills” were shown first at the non-profit gallery Artists Space where Sherman was working as a receptionist. Later in December 1995, the Museum of Modern Art, New York acquired all of the black and white photographs in the series for an estimated $1

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