Cindy Sherman

PhotographerBorn: 1954Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8g85gMsJ8

Biography

• Cindy Sherman was born in 1954, in New Jersey, New York.

• Born with parents who, unlike her, were not overly artistic, Sherman said: "It wasn't until college that I had any concept of what was going on in the art world”. (CindySherman.com, 2004)

Biography

• Sherman began studying at State University College Buffalo, where she set out to study painting.

• Failing to find the critical connection, needed in painting, Sherman then turned to photography. After meeting fellow artist Robert Longo, Sherman formed Hallwalls, an independent artisits’ exhibition space. (CindySherman.com, 2004)

Biography

• After graduating in 1976, Sherman moved to New York to embark upon her career in art.

• In her loft in Manhattan, Cindy began taking photos of herself, which were later known as Untitled Film Stills (CindySherman.com, 2004)

Biography

• In these Untitled Film Stills, Sherman places herself in the roles of B-movie actresses.

• Her photographs demonstrate her dressed up in wigs, hats and dresses unlike her own, playing the roles of characters. Sherman played a ‘type’ of woman…

• Write a brief summary of how Sherman has depicted each ‘type’ of woman as shown on the following slides.

The Housewife

The Prostitute

The Woman in Distress

The Actress

Disasters and Fairytales

• From 1985-1989, Sherman was not the sole focus of her artwork.

• These images are more grotesque than her former works, and often used un-identifiable settings, as well as oddly coloured lighting shades of blue, green and red.

• These images were designed to shock.

Sex Pictures

• In 1992, Sherman embarked on a series of photographs known as ‘sex pictures’, where she was entirely absent from the photos.

• Dolls and prosthetic body parts were used, in highly sexual poses.

• How does the following artwork make you feel?? Can you see the shock value Sherman has set out to accomplish? How? Why?

Motion Pictures

• 1997 saw Sherman’s directorial debut, when Office Killer was released in theatres.

• A lover of horror films, Sherman drew on the characteristics of this genre as well as the visual motifs established as a still photographer.

Story of Success

• Due to Sherman being so successful so young, her work has had considerable maturation over the past decade.

• In 1999, the average price for one of her artworks was $2000-$50000.

• Sherman’s popularity continues to grow around the world, with exhibits in countries such as Germany, Japan and France.

Metro Pictures

• Sherman has recently gone back to using herself as a model. At a recent show at her New York Gallery, Metro Pictures, Sherman displayed a series of portrait like images of herself in the guise of women of California. Again simply ‘types’, e.g. - the divorcee.

• Why do you think Sherman uses herself as a model.• Why do you think she portrays ‘types’ of women?

The Divorcee

Reflection

• Do you prefer Sherman’s ‘types’ of women - pre 1989, sex pictures, metro pictures or ‘types’ of women - post 1992? Why?

• What do you feel when you see such confronting images?

• “If I knew what the picture was going to be like I wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made already.. the challenge is more about trying to make what you can’t think of”. (Artquotes.net, date unknown).

• Think about this quote the next time you are taking a photograph or creating an artwork!

References

• http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/i/20th/Cindy-Sherman,-Untitled--01.jpg• http://www.contemporarystl.org/images/cs_early4.jpg• http://www.bbc.co.uk/photography/genius/gallery/images/sherman.jpg• http://thatswhenireachformyrevolver.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/03untitled-film-still13-

cindy-sherman.jpg• http://carefullyaimeddarts.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/25784.jpg• http://thetruthorthefight.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/cindy_sherman.jpg• http://www.katdeerfield.com/academic/SP09_Nadja-Sherman_files/image002.jpg• http://www.artsconnected.org/media/85/cc/

6dae402ce39fa3f37ca17d04f055/1024/768/33511.jpg• http://peterandjoan.blogs.wm.edu/files/2008/10/disasters1985.jpg• http://www.artquotes.net/masters/sherman/index.htm• http://www.cindysherman.com/biography.shtml