Final Performance Task

Mentor Assignment

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer who focused primarily on redefining the self-portrait in the 1970’s. She was born on January 19, 1959 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. After being raised on Long Island and attending Buffalo State College where she studied visual arts; Sherman became interested in painting and mixed media. Although never exposed to art while growing up, her parents being a retired engineer and a reading teacher, Sherman declared art as her major. After college Sherman started painting but stopped when she felt that her work was not up to her creative standards and that her paintings said as much as they could. Cindy Sherman had a lot more to express as an artist.  While still studying in Buffalo Sherman along with fellow artists Robert Longo and Charles Clough, she began interested in photography and together the three artists created the gallery “Hallways”; a place for new artists to exhibit their work. In the following years Cindy Sherman gained recognition as a promising young photographer with a lot of talent and an interesting perspective.  

Untitled Film Still #14

Cindy Sherman primarily works in film series, each including around ten photographs. Sherman’s untitled film stills express a lot of emotion, which makes her pictures so strong. The untitled film series called “The Complete Untitled Film Stills” Sherman produced between 1977 and 1981 included sixty-nine black and white photographs. These are her most popular works and what she is best known for.

Untitled Film Still #13

The photographs in this collection were taken to bring attention to the female stereotypes of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s that were supported by the media. To add emotion and a realistic aspect to her pictures Sherman posed as the model. All sixty-nine black and white images in this series were her differentiating what she believed the self-portrait to be. To recreate the style of the retro woman in the 50’s and 60’s Cindy Sherman got “all dolled up” using make-up, costumes and wigs to change her appearance in each photograph. She wanted her pictures to look theatrical while still making an important statement about feminism.

Untitled Film Still #56

Some of Cindy Sherman's photographs are the most expensive photographs ever sold at auction. This is proof that her unique ideas and perspective pays off in her work. Sherman's work has also inspired many celebrities to explore photography themselves. In 1997 Madonna sponsored one of Sherman's exhibits and singer Marina Diamandis from Marina and the Diamonds has stated that Sherman was her inspiration for her Electra Heart album cover. Cindy Sherman is an incredible photographer with a rare mindset that inspires her pictures.

Untitled Fim Still #50

In my effort to recreate Cindy Sherman's untitled film stills I too decided to dress-up. I wore a retro skirt and a scarf from the 1960's in my hair. I also wore deep red lipstick and dark eyeliner to emphasize my facial features. I took the pictures at my grandmother's house which still has the same decor it did back when it was built in the 70's. Together with the lighting and the setting of these pictures the atmosphere is similar to Sherman's early film stills. To take the photographs I set up a tripod and put my camera on a very slow shutter speed so that I could still be the subject. I feel that through the use of theatrics and lighting I was able to capture the essence of Cindy Sherman's work in my photographs; and that I was able to bring my own artistic interpretation to her already genius concept.

Final Image 

Sources

"Cindy Sherman Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works | The Art Story." The Art Story: Modern Art Movements, Artists, Ideas and Topics. The Art Story.org, n.d. Web. 2 June 2013. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-sherman-cindy.htm>.

"Cindy Sherman Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com ."Famous Biographies & TV Shows - Biography.com . Bio., n.d. Web. 2 June 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/cindy-sherman-39916>.

"Cindy Sherman-Biography." Cindy Sherman.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2013. <www.cindysherman.com/biography.shtml>.

"Cindy Sherman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Sherman>.