1. Biography0 Sherman's life began in 1954, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, asuburb of New York City. Her family having moved shortlyafter her birth, Sherman grew up as the youngest of fivechildren in the town of Huntington, Long Island.0 Unlike some budding artists, Sherman was not particularlyinvolved in the arts as a young person. Sherman's parentswere not involved in the arts; her father made a living as anengineer and her mother worked as a reading teacher.Born relatively late in her parents' lives, Sherman's fatherwas retired by the time she was in fifth grade.

2. Biography0 Sherman has said that, ""It wasn't until college that I had anyconcept of what was going on in the art world. My idea of beingan artist as a kid was a courtroom artist or one of thoseboardwalk artists who do caricatures. My parents had a book of,like, the one hundred one beautiful paintings, which includedDali and Picasso among the most recent artists." Despite herparents lack of artistic interest, they were supportive of herchoice to enter art school after finishing high school, though,according to Sherman, her mother did caution her to "take a fewteaching courses just in case.0 Thus, Sherman's exploration of art began at the State UniversityCollege at Buffalo. 3. Biography0 Sherman's career at Buffalo began much differently then it ended. As afreshman, Sherman set out to study painting until one day, when she realizedthat she had enough. Frustrated with the limitations of painting and feelinglike she had done all that she could, she gave it up. Sherman has said that shefelt that " . . .there was nothing more to say [through painting]. I wasmeticulously copying other art and then I realized I could just use a cameraand put my time into an idea instead." And this is explicitly what she did. Inretrospect, Sherman has expressed that she never could have succeeded as apainter, stating that she is unable to react to painting in anything more than avisceral way. Lacking the critical connection needing to proceed withpainting, Sherman turned to photography, which she studied for theremainder of her time at Buffalo. During this time, she met a person who wasto become very important in her life: fellow artist Robert Longo. Togetherwith Longo and fellow student Charles Clough, Sherman formed Hallwalls,an independent artists' space where she and fellow artists exhibited.0 After Sherman's 1976 graduation, she decided to move to New York City toembark upon her career in art. Taking a loft on Fulton Street in lowerManhattan, Sherman began taking photographs of herself. 4. Art Practice0 By turning the camera on herself, Cindy Sherman has built a name as oneof the most respected photographers of the late C20th. The majority of herphotographs are pictures of her, however, these photographs are mostdefinitely not self-portraits. Rather, Sherman uses herself as a vehicle forcommentary on a variety of issues of the modern world: the role of thewoman, the role of the artist and many more.Untitled #93 byCindy Sherman,(1981).Chromogeniccolor print, (61 x121.9 cm). 5. Art Practice0 It is through these ambiguous and eclectic photographsthat Sherman has developed a distinct signature style.Through a number of different series of works, Shermanhas raised challenging and important questions about therole and representation of women in society, the media andthe nature of the creation of art.Untitled Film Still #21 by CindySherman, (1978). Gelatin silver print(19.1 x 24.1cm).Sherman's "Untitled Film Stills" series, comprisedof 70 black-and-white photographs made between1977 and 1980, are made to resemble publicitypictures taken on movie sets. The images representclichs from films of the 1950s and 60s: career girl,bombshell, housewife and so on. 6. Art Practice0 To create her photographs, she assumes the multiple roles ofphotographer, model, makeup artist, hairdresser, stylist, and wardrobemistress. With an arsenal of wigs, costumes, makeup, prosthetics, andprops, Sherman has deftly altered her physique and surroundings tocreate a myriad of intriguing tableaus and characters, from screen siren toclown to aging socialite. 7. Art Critic & Historian 8. Art Practice0 Click below to watch a short video about Shermans process,why she uses herself as a subject matter, and the origins of hercharacters.0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiszC33puc00 Homework: Stage one of Cindy Shermans back and whitephotographs with yourself as the subject (or if you are male anddo not feel like getting in touch with your feminine side, youmay use a female relative or friend as a model), and use basicediting tools to achieve the black and white look. Considerlighting, angles, expression, costuming etc. You dont have a usea fancy camera, just a good quality camera phone will do. Uponcompletion, upload to the Wikispace.