The Influence of Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is a well-known contemporary artist who impacted the world of art. She has created and dressed up as so many different characters for thirty years. Sherman takes on countless responsibilities, since she is the photographer, model, hairdresser, and makeup artist in her works of art. Furthermore, Sherman’s art tackles the representation of female gender roles and identity in society as well as in media. According to “Cindy Sherman Overview and Analysis” by Bonnie Rosenberg, Cindy Sherman is associated with “The Pictures Generation, Conceptual Art, Feminist Art, and Postmodernism.” Sherman and her artwork have greatly influenced the world and the way people view it.
Cindy Sherman was passionate about art from a young age. She was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and was the youngest of five kids. Sherman always dressed up as a child and reflects on her experiences. She explains the reasoning behind her dressing up, “It was partly [a means of escape], but, to be really psychological about it, it was also partly, ‘If you don’t like me this way, how about you like me this way?’ Four kids and a family, and I was like this total latecomer” (Hattenstone). Sherman needed to find a way to express herself, especially since she did not feel noticed by her family. As a result, she turned to art and studied it at the State University of New York, at Buffalo. Sherman started her artistic career as a painter, but she did not only use paint. She decided to explore other mediums such as photography because she did not want to feel restricted (Rosenberg). Sherman’s passion for art grew over the years and she used the skills she learned to create many influential works of art.
Cindy Sherman creates meaningful contemporary art that is recognized by many people. Sherman is best known for her “Untitled Film Stills,” which were photographs done in black and white. In this series, she portrayed traditional roles of women in film, which were created so that viewers could challenge stereotypes. Although Sherman is the model in her works of art, she explains that she is “trying to make other people recognize something of themselves rather than me” (“Cindy Sherman – Bio”). Sherman expresses vulnerability in her works and wants viewers to use her art to be vulnerable and self-reflect, instead of focusing on her. In addition, she paid more attention to lighting and facial expressions in her works. Sherman clearly has many talents, and interestingly, she even directed the horror film Office Killer (“Cindy Sherman Biography”). Some people may assume that Cindy Sherman is egotistical, but according to “Cindy Sherman’s Secret Identities” by Calvin Tomkins she is “modest, warm, considerate, and even-tempered.” Other works of art that Sherman created include her History portraits. Many of the photographs of this series depict chaos and tension (Hinderliter). Also, Sherman’s Centerfolds series comments on female representation, which is emphasized by the poses, expressions, and clothing that create a charged mood in her images (Glueck). Cindy Sherman is responsible for countless works of art that are well-known.
Sherman was inspired from other artists as well as her own personal experiences and her art has greatly impacted the world. Sherman was influenced by Robert Mapplethorpe, Andres Serrano, and Catherine Opie. Mapplethorpe was a photographer who created black and white portraits that were controversial and led Sherman to explore controversial issues such as stereotypes. Furthermore, Serrano’s controversial art including images of corpses and use of bodily fluids influenced her work with vomit and blood. Also, Opie is a photographer whose powerful works that commented on the community inspired Sherman to comment on society and media (Rosenberg). In addition, Sherman was inspired from looking back on her personal experiences. When Sherman went through a difficult divorce from Michel Auder, a video artist, she utilized her pain to create violent images of mutilated dolls that were displayed in a New York show (Tomkins).