Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman (b. 1954) is known for probing the construction of identity in her work, particularly through playing with the codes of femininity visible in art, advertising, film, and television. In her series Untitled Film Stills (1977-80), she photographed herself in various costumes and settings which suggested scenes from movies. See a selection of those photos, here.

https://www.moma.org/artists/5392

Sherman has continued to work in series of provocatively staged self-portraits. The Museum of Modern Art staged a retrospective of her work in 2012. You can read about that exhibition, and see more of her work, here.

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1154

See and hear Sherman’s friend and contemporary, artist Robert Longo, talk about her work, her process, and what it was like going to see movies with her, here.

https://youtu.be/Z9kL0YMpQDg?si=T3oguBXFuQ6NpVty