Cindy Sherman

Artist Cindy Sherman, at a lunch in her honour at Government House, Wellington, on 1 September 2016. Photo credits: New Zealand Government, via Wikipedia.

Who is Cindy Sherman?

Cynthia Morris Sherman (Cindy Sherman), born in 1954, is an American artist renowned for her art that mainly features self-portraits captured through photography. Her work involves portraying herself in diverse settings and assuming different fictional personas.

One of her most significant contributions to the art world is the acclaimed series titled "Untitled Film Stills," which consists of 70 black-and-white photographs. In these images, Sherman skillfully embodies various archetypal female roles commonly seen in performance-based media, particularly independent and low-budget films. During the 1980s, Sherman transitioned to using color film and producing large prints, while also placing greater emphasis on costumes, lighting, and facial expressions. 

Early life

Born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Cynthia Morris Sherman grew up as the youngest of five children in a family that later relocated to Huntington, Long Island. Her father was an engineer at Grumman Aircraft, while her mother taught reading to children with learning difficulties. Reflecting on her parents, she described her mother as overly kind and her father as strict and cruel. She was raised in the Episcopalian faith.

In 1972, Sherman enrolled in the visual arts department at Buffalo State College, initially focusing on painting. During this period, she started exploring the ideas that would become central to her artistic approach. She began dressing up as different characters, using clothes she found in thrift stores. Feeling frustrated with the limitations she perceived in painting as a medium, she decided to switch to photography. She realized that she could express her ideas more effectively through the camera, stating, "There was nothing more to say [through painting]. I was meticulously copying other art, and then I realized I could just use a camera and put my time into an idea instead."

Sherman recalled a particular incident during her college years when she anticipated being required to take nude photos in a woodland setting for a class. In response, she started photographing herself early on to confront her discomfort. However, the anticipated assignment never took place. Throughout her college education, she focused on photography, even though she had initially failed a required photography class. Barbara Jo Revelle, her instructor in a repeated course, introduced her to conceptual art and contemporary forms, shaping her artistic development. It was during this time that she met Robert Longo, another artist, who encouraged her to document her process of getting ready for parties, which eventually led to her renowned "Untitled Film Still" series.

In 1974, together with Longo, Charles Clough, and Nancy Dwyer, Sherman co-founded Hallwalls, an arts center aimed at providing a space for artists from diverse backgrounds. She also immersed herself in the contemporary art showcased at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, various SUNY school campuses in Buffalo, Media Studies Buffalo, the Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts, and Artpark in Lewiston, New York.

During her time in Buffalo, Sherman encountered the photo-based conceptual works of artists like Hannah Wilke, Eleanor Antin, and Adrian Piper. Alongside artists such as Laurie Simmons, Louise Lawler, and Barbara Kruger, Sherman is considered a key figure of the Pictures Generation, an artistic movement that emerged during that time.

Photography

Introduction to the photography of Cynthia Sherman

For over four decades, Cindy Sherman has delved into the construction of identity, skillfully manipulating the visual and cultural norms found within art, celebrity culture, gender, and photography. As one of the prominent figures of the Pictures Generation, which includes artists like Richard Prince, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, and Robert Longo, she emerged in the 1970s and responded to the pervasive mass media landscape with a blend of humor and critique. These artists appropriated images from advertising, film, television, and magazines, integrating them into their artwork.

Sherman has always had a fascination with exploring different personas. In her own words, she expressed a desire to treat every day like Halloween, where she could dress up and embody eccentric characters. Shortly after relocating to New York, she created her notable series called "Untitled Film Stills" (1977-1980). In these photographs, Sherman adopted various guises and captured herself in carefully chosen settings with specific props, resembling scenes from mid-20th-century B movies. These images, initiated when she was just 23 years old, featured female characters and caricatures such as the world-weary seductress, the discontented housewife, the abandoned lover, and the vulnerable ingenue. Cinematic conventions heavily influenced the composition of these photographs, reminiscent of promotional film stills. The series of 70 Film Stills sparked discussions about feminism, postmodernism, and representation, and they continue to be her most renowned works.

Sherman has consistently reinvented herself, showcasing the vast array of human types and stereotypes in her imagery. Often working in series, she improvises on themes like centerfolds (1981) and society portraits (2008). An exemplary piece from her history portraits (1981) series is "Untitled #216," where she employs theatrical techniques to assume different roles. Notably, she does not conceal her efforts, allowing her wigs to slip off, her prosthetics to peel, and her makeup to be poorly blended. By highlighting the artificiality of these fabrications, she metaphorically underscores the constructed nature of all identities.

While Sherman occasionally portrays glamorous figures, her primary interest lies in the grotesque. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, her series such as "the disasters" (1986-1989) and "the sex pictures" (1992) confronted viewers with explicit and visceral images that revealed the strange and unattractive aspects of humanity. In 1986, she expressed her disgust with society's obsession with achieving conventional beauty, stating her fascination with the opposite end of the spectrum. During that time, the AIDS crisis brought images of deteriorating bodies into public consciousness, adding poignancy to Sherman's exploration of the grotesque and different forms of bodily violence. Across these series and throughout her entire body of work, Sherman undermines the visual stereotypes we employ to categorize the world, drawing attention to their artificiality and ambiguity while challenging their reliability in comprehending a more complex reality.

History of photography by Cindy Sherman

Early work

Sherman's artistic approach revolves around working in series, where she captures herself in various costumes. In her studio, she operates as a multi-faceted creative force, taking on the roles of author, director, makeup artist, hairstylist, wardrobe supervisor, and model. One of her notable series is "Bus Riders" (1976-2000), consisting of photographs portraying meticulously observed characters. Initially shot in 1976 for display on a bus, Sherman transformed her identity for each image using costumes and makeup, including the controversial use of blackface. The cutout characters were then arranged along the advertising strip inside the bus. Some critics argue that this work displayed insensitivity towards race due to the blackface makeup, while others suggest that it aimed to expose the embedded racism within society.

Sherman's early works involved the utilization of cutout figures, as seen in pieces like "Murder Mystery" and "Play of Selves."

In her influential series "Untitled Film Stills" (1977-1980), Sherman portrays characters reminiscent of B-movie and film noir actresses. When asked if she considers herself an actress in her photographs, she responded, "I never thought I was acting. When I became involved with close-ups, I needed more expression in the face. I couldn't rely on the background or atmosphere. I wanted the story to emanate from the face. Somehow, the acting just happened."

Many of Sherman's photo series, including the 1981 "Centerfolds," draw attention to stereotypes of women prevalent in society, films, television, and magazines. Regarding one of her centerfold pictures, she explained, "In content, I wanted a man opening up the magazine to suddenly expect something lascivious and then feel like the violator when looking at this woman, who might be a victim. At the time, I didn't think of them as victims... Obviously, I'm trying to make someone feel bad for having a particular expectation."

In a 1990 interview with The New York Times, Sherman expressed, "I feel I'm anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren't self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear." She describes her process as intuitive, responding to elements such as lighting, mood, location, and costumes within a setting. She continues to adjust external factors until she achieves her desired vision. Sherman's approach involves gazing into a mirror next to the camera, creating a trance-like state, striving to embody the character through the lens. She relies on her intuition during both the "acting" and editing phases. Observing the presence of that other person in the image is what she seeks, describing it as a magical experience.

Untitled Film Stills

Cindy Sherman gained international recognition through her series called "Untitled Film Stills" (1977-1980), consisting of 69 black-and-white photographs. In these images, the artist assumes various roles, such as librarians, hillbillies, and seductresses, and positions herself in diverse settings, including streets, yards, pools, beaches, and interiors. The resulting photographs evoke the aesthetic of Italian neorealism and American film noir from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Sherman deliberately avoided providing titles to the images, preserving their ambiguity. Frequently, she captured her heroines in moments of solitude, devoid of expression and in private spaces. These heroines typically defied conventional notions of marriage and family, representing rebellious women who either met tragic ends or eventually succumbed to societal expectations.

Compared to Sherman's later cibachrome photographs, the "Untitled Film Stills" series is modest in scale, with each photograph measuring 8 1/2 by 11 inches and presented in simple black frames. Sherman utilized her own possessions as props or occasionally borrowed items, such as the doggy pillow in Untitled Film Still #11, which belonged to a friend. The majority of the shots were taken within her own apartment. The series can be categorized into several distinct groups:

The initial six photographs are characterized by graininess and a slightly out-of-focus quality (e.g., Untitled #4).

The following group was captured in 1978 at Robert Longo's family beach house on Long Island's north fork. (Sherman had entered into a relationship with Longo in 1976).

In the later part of 1978, Sherman shifted to outdoor locations in the city for her shoots, exemplified by Untitled Film Still #21.

Sherman returned to her apartment, choosing to work from the comfort of her own home. She portrayed her interpretation of a character resembling Sophia Loren in the film "Two Women" (e.g., Untitled Film Still #35, 1979).

Several photographs in the series were taken while Sherman was preparing for a road trip to Arizona with her parents. Untitled Film Still #48 (1979), also known as "The Hitchhiker," was captured by Sherman's father at sunset during the trip.

The remaining images were taken in various locations around New York, featuring motifs like Untitled #54, often portraying a blonde victim characteristic of film noir.

The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan acquired the series for an estimated $1 million in 1995.

A hallway in the Wexner Center for the Arts, with an artwork by Cindy Sherman displayed on the wall at right. Photo credits: Vince Reinhart, via Wikipedia.

1980s and 1990s

In addition to her renowned film stills, Cindy Sherman has appropriated various visual forms in her artwork, including the centerfold, fashion photography, historical portraiture, and soft-core sexual images. These series, along with others like the Fairy Tales and Disasters sequences from the 1980s, were initially exhibited at the Metro Pictures Gallery in New York City.

In 1980, Sherman made a transition from black-and-white to color photography, as well as to larger formats, with her series called Rear Screen Projections. The Centerfolds/Horizontals series in 1981 drew inspiration from the centerfold spreads found in fashion and pornographic magazines. The twelve photographs, measuring 24 by 48 inches each, were initially commissioned by Ingrid Sischy, the Editor in Chief of Artforum magazine, for an artist's section that was ultimately not used. In these photographs, Sherman posed on the floor or in bed, often in a reclining or supine position. She aimed to convey a psychological depth in these self-portraits, stating, "Some of them I'd hope would seem very psychological. While I'm working, I might feel as tormented as the person I'm portraying."

Untitled #96, created by American visual artist Cindy Sherman in 1981, is a color photograph that belongs to her renowned Centerfold series, consisting of 12 images. This particular artwork gained significant attention when a print of it was auctioned on May 11, 2011, reaching a remarkable sale price of US$3.89 million. At that time, it set a record as the highest price ever paid for a photographic print, although subsequent sales have surpassed this figure. Another print of Untitled #96 was later sold for $2,882,500 at Christie's New York auction on May 8, 2012.

Between 1989 and 1990, Sherman produced 35 large, color photographs titled History Portraits, which reimagined the settings of various European portrait paintings from the 15th to early 19th centuries. In her Sex Pictures series from 1992, Sherman employed prosthetic limbs and mannequins to explore themes of sexuality. Critic Hal Foster describes Sherman's Sex Pictures as a means of eroding the subject and tearing at the screen, ultimately leading to its obliteration through the gaze.

Reviewer Jerry Saltz describes Sherman's work as fashioned from disassembled and recombined mannequins, some adorned with pubic hair, displaying anti-pornographic imagery that explores feigning, fighting, and perversion. Greg Fallis, writing for Utata Tribal Photography, notes that Sherman's Sex Pictures series features medical prostheses arranged in sexualized positions, recreating and altering pornographic imagery. One example is Untitled #264, where Sherman presents herself with a body made of prosthetics, obscuring her face with a gas mask to emphasize the deconstruction of oversexualized female body parts.

2000s

Between 2003 and 2004, Cindy Sherman embarked on the creation of the Clowns cycle, utilizing digital photography to produce vibrant, chromatic backgrounds and montages featuring multiple characters. The incorporation of digital techniques allowed for the construction of vivid, eye-catching scenes. In 2008, Sherman's untitled Society Portraits series presented characters situated against lavish backdrops and presented within elaborate frames. While these characters were not based on specific individuals, Sherman skillfully portrayed them in a manner that felt familiar, reflecting their struggle with societal beauty standards prevalent in a culture obsessed with youth and status.

Her exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 2012 included a photographic mural created between 2010 and 2011. Accompanied by selected films curated by Sherman, the mural showcased the artist photoshopping her face against decorative backdrops, immersing herself in fictional environments. Through this artwork, Sherman played with the notions of reality and fantasy, exploring their interconnectedness. Additionally, she presented a series of large-scale pictures from 2012, inspired by a 32-page insert she had created for POP magazine using vintage clothing from Chanel's archive. These photographs depicted enigmatic female figures, standing prominently against foreboding landscapes Sherman had captured during the 2010 volcanic eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland and on the island of Capri.

In 2017, Sherman collaborated on a project with W Magazine centered around the concept of the "plandid" or "the planned candid photograph," involving the use of various photo-correction apps to create her Instagram portraits.

From 2019 onwards, Sherman began exhibiting self-portraits executed as tapestries, which were produced by a workshop in Belgium. These tapestries added a new dimension to her artistic repertoire, offering a unique interpretation of her self-portrait work.

Art market and Influence on contemporary artists

In 2010, one of Sherman's notable works, a chromogenic color print titled Untitled #153 (1985), featuring the artist depicted as a mud-covered corpse, was sold by Phillips de Pury & Company for $2.7 million, close to the high estimate of $3 million. The following year, a print of Untitled #96 was auctioned at Christie's, fetching $3.89 million and becoming the most expensive photograph at that time.

Throughout her career, Sherman was represented by Metro Pictures for 40 years and also had representation by Sprüth Magers before moving to Hauser & Wirth in 2021.

In April 2023, Phillips NY auctioned off Untitled #546 (2010), a large-scale work measuring 159 cm x 359 cm, which sold for an impressive $355,600, exceeding the estimated value. Sherman's work has had a significant impact on contemporary portrait photographers, with many crediting her as a major influence. Artists like Ryan Trecartin, known for exploring themes of identity in videos and photography, have been particularly inspired by Sherman's work. Her influence extends to artists working in various mediums, including painter Lisa Yuskavage, visual artist Jillian Mayer, and performance artist Tracey Ullman.

In April 2014, actor and artist James Franco presented a series of photographs titled "New Film Stills" at the Pace Gallery, in which he restaged twenty-nine images from Sherman's "Untitled Film Stills" series. However, the exhibition received predominantly negative reviews, with critics labeling Franco's appropriations as "sophomoric," "sexist," and embarrassingly unaware.

Feminism

In Sherman's series called "Imitation of Life" from 2016, she assumes the roles of various aging actresses, dressed in vintage costumes and adorned with theatrical makeup, capturing the essence of these characters.

Scholar Douglas Crimp, in his writing about Sherman's "Film Stills" series in the journal October, suggests that her work combines elements of photography and performance art to expose femininity as a construct of representation.

However, Sherman herself does not identify her work or herself as explicitly feminist. While her work may be seen as feminist or influenced by feminist ideas, she avoids engaging in theoretical discussions about feminism, stating, "The work is what it is, and hopefully, it's seen as feminist work or feminist-advised work, but I'm not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshit about feminist stuff."

Many scholars emphasize the significance of the gaze in Cindy Sherman's work. Scholars like Laura Mulvey have analyzed Sherman's "Untitled" series in relation to the male gaze. Mulvey suggests that Sherman's images parody different forms of voyeurism captured through the camera, with the accouterments of femininity struggling to conform to a facade of desirability.

However, there are debates surrounding whether Sherman intentionally engages with the male gaze and the feminine struggle, and whether this intentionality is essential to considering the feminist perspective of her photography.

Sherman herself expresses uncertainty regarding the relationship between the "Untitled" series and the male gaze. In a 1991 interview, she reflects on her work, stating that she did not analyze it at the time with regards to feminist issues, and now has mixed feelings about some of the images, acknowledging their resemblance to the original pin-up pictures of the era.

In addition to discussions about the gaze, Sherman's work is also analyzed through a feminist lens in relation to the concept of abjection. Scholars such as Hal Foster and Laura Mulvey interpret Sherman's use of the abject and the grotesque in projects like the "Vomit Pictures" from the 1980s as a means of de-fetishizing the female body.

Scholar Michele Meager characterizes Sherman as having been acknowledged as a resistant celebrity to feminist theory, highlighting her complex relationship with feminist discourse.

Personal life

From 1974 to 1980, Sherman resided with artist Robert Longo. In 1984 she married filmmaker Michel Auder, becoming stepmother to Auder's daughter Alexandra and half-sister to Gaby Hoffmann. However, Sherman and Auder divorced in 1999. After the divorce, she began a five-year relationship with Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, who made a documentary about Sherman. She later had a relationship, from 2007 to 2011, with artist David Byrne.

Between 1991 and 2005, Sherman lived in a loft located on the fifth floor of a cooperative building at 84 Mercer Street in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood. She eventually sold it to actor Hank Azaria. He then purchased two floors of a ten-story condominium building overlooking the Hudson River in West Soho. He currently uses one floor as a residence and the other as a studio and office.

For many years, Sherman spent his summers in the Catskill Mountains. In 2000 he purchased a 4,200-square-foot house on a 0.4-acre property in Sag Harbor, formerly owned by singer-songwriter Marvin Hamlisch. In addition, he obtained a 19th-century residence located on a ten-acre parcel near Accabonac Harbor in East Hampton, New York.

Sherman has openly expressed her disdain for social media platforms, considering them vulgar. However, she maintains an active Instagram account where she shares selfies.