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Lilian
Photography
4 May 2016
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is a notable female photographer that wowed the art world with her
photographs that enraptured a variety of issues in the modern world, mainly those that involved
women and their roles in society. Through her works, mainly her film self portraits, Cindy
Sherman communicates idea of cliche roles of women in society and creates a conceptual image
that provokes thoughts of what it means to be a woman and and photographers in society today.
In addition to being a photographer Sherman was also a model, actress and film director. As far
as Cindys career in photography, she is most widely known for her series of self portraits where
she is not aiming to photograph her own character but rather play the role of stereotypical
women in society with the goal of creating an ambiguous message that most widely translates to
mocking the cliche roles of women in society. Cindy Sherman inspires me as an artist in a
number of ways. As an artist who is interested in capturing the lives and roles of women,
Sherman inspires me through her ambiguous self portraits and her portrayal of modern woman.
Cindy Sherman is an influential artist who paved the way for many future artists interested in
capturing the roles of women though her conceptual photographs that mock the roles placed by
society on modern women.
Cindy Sherman was born in 1954 in New Jersey. She then moved to Long Island where
she lived with her parents and five siblings. Growing up she was influenced by a book that her
parents kept filled with works of famous art. Sherman decided to move to Buffalo, New York

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where she studied art at the University College at Buffalo. Sherman began her art career with
paintings but quickly switched to photography because she did not like the limitations that she
felt that painting put on her. During this time she met Robert Longo, whom, along with Charles
Clough, worked with Sherman to establish Hallwalls, which was an independent artists space
where the trio exhibited their artwork. After her graduation, Sherman moved to New York City
and began her series of self portraits that would become her most famous works. In her self
portraits, Cindy Sherman took on the roles of different types of women and the way that society
portrays those stereotypes. After having pieces rejected by Artforum magazine, Sherman went
onto changing her style and approach almost entirely. With inspiration from the gore of horror
movies, Sherman begins to take grotesque photographs where Sherman is no longer the subject
in all of the pictures, Sherman creates images where subjects are often scary looking. Sherman
also begins photographing doll limbs and prosthetic body parts as well as herself covered in
gross substances. After these series of photos, Sherman returns to self portraiture and
photographs herself recreating famous paintings. Sherman then returned to photographing doll
parts but this time posing them in highly sexual poses. In addition to photography, Sherman
directed and acted in movies. In recent times, Sherman has been working on series where she is
again the model who portrays stereotypical women from California. She currently resides in New
York City (Biography).
The first image of critiquing is Shermans Untitled #153. This photograph is not dated
and the medium is chromogenic development print. The ambiguous photograph depicts what
could either be a woman or a doll covered in dirt laying on the ground staring off into the

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distance resembling a dead and discarded woman. Sherman utilizes rules of thirds and negative
space. By positioning herself or the doll off to the side of the
photo in the right grid of the rule of thirds and utilizing
negative space by having the subjects eyes positioned out of
the frame Sherman creates an effective image that conveys the
ambiguous message that she is attempting to create. The
message that Sherman may have been trying to communicate
may tie in with her theme of womens roles in society. By
making the doll dirty and laying in the dirt, Sherman may
have been trying to show that women are often used and then
metaphorically thrown to the dirt when they are no longer

Untitled #153
Cindy Sherman
1985. chromogenic development print
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled #153. 1985. MCA Chicago,
Chicago. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.

useful. By making the subject appear dead it shows that

women may be dead in the roles placed by them in society. As an artist interested in capturing
womens rights, the concept of photographing the darker, gorier side of womens struggles in
society.
The second image is Untitled Film Still #10. The
Photograph was taken in 1978 on gelatin silver print.
The image depicts an angry looking woman sitting on
the floor looking off into the distance surrounded by
spilled groceries. Again Sherman creates an effective
image by utilizing rule of space and by having her
subjects utilize facial expressions to communicate a

Untitled Film Still #10

Cindy Sherman
1978. gelatin silver print
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled #10. 1978. Vivian Horan
Fine Art, New York. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.

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message. The image exemplifies the cliche role of a housewife who is responsible for the
groceries, cooking, cleaning, groceries, and other responsibilities that society traditionally
expects women to be responsible for. Sherman may have been trying to communicate that
women are fed up with the traditional expectations set in place for them by society. Sherman
may have been trying to communicate this through the scowl on her face and the spilt groceries,
signifying that women are no longer going to take responsibilities for these roles just because
they are expected to. This piece influences my work because it conveys a strong message that
reflects womens rights which is a topic I am interested in. By utilizing props and facial
expressions, Sherman inspires me to use similar tools in my photos to convey a message.
The third photo for critiquing is Untitled. This photograph was
taken in 1982 on color coupler print. The image depicts a woman sitting
on the floor looking off into he distance with a distressed look on her
face. Sherman creates another successful photograph through her use of
rule of thirds and by utilizing a strong expression on her subjects face.
Sherman may have been trying to communicate that women may look
seemingly normal but feel distressed with their lives. This can tie in with
her theme of women feeling worked down and used in society. The
image influences my work by showing how facial expressions are an
important tool in conveying a message.

Untitled
Cindy Sherman
1982. color coupler print
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled. 1982. David
Benrimon Fine Art, New York. Artsy.
Web. 4 May 2016.

The final image is also titled Untitled. This image was taken in
1981 on chromogenic color print. Similar to the first three, this image continues to portray an
effective image reflecting womens issues through use of rule of space and strong facial

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expressions. This self portrait conveys an ambiguous message by positioning the subject on the
floor with a newspaper clipping in her hand while she stares off into the distance. Again Sherman
creates and eerie masterpiece that portages women as run
down subjects who are on the bring of death both
literally and within their identity as women struggling to
survive in the modern world. This image inspires me to
use props to create an effective image and to effectively
create an ambiguous message open to different
interpretations from its viewers.

Untitled
Cindy Sherman
1981. chromogenic color print
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled. 1981. Metro Pictures, New
York. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.

As a conclusion, Cindy Sherman is a respected

influential woman photographer who is respected for her revolutionary photos that present
womens roles in society in a different more sinister light. Cindy Sherman approaches womens
issues in a completely new way that is extremely different from other artists of her time period.
Sherman work communicates an idea that supports the concept that societal roles are simply
ideas and women often do not fit the perfect mold set in place by men and the media. Cindys
approach on the topic that is of interest to me inspires me to capture women in an unconventional
way that sparks the thoughts of both women and men alike. She inspires me to capture the true
roles of women rather than the roles perceived by societal norms. Cindys work to me inspires
me to look beyond stereotypes and cliches and realize the depths and complexities of humans
struggling to live within a society filled with preconceived ideas of perfection.

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Works Cited
"Biography." CindySherman.com. CindySherman.com, n.d. Web. 04 May
2016.
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled #153. 1985. MCA Chicago, Chicago. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled #10. 1978. Vivian Horan Fine Art, New York. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled. 1982. David Benrimon Fine Art, New York. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.
Sherman, Cindy. Untitled. 1981. Metro Pictures, New York. Artsy. Web. 4 May 2016.