Who is Cindy Sherman and what did she do?

Cindy Sherman was born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey; she lives and works in New York. American artists who came to artistic maturity and critical recognition during the early 1980s.

Cynthia Morris Sherman is an American artist whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. She is based around and the misogyny women have to go through, even in 2024 – the present day. Women are stereotyped and shamed upon for this stereotypical way that women need to cook and clean whilst the man goes to work. I think that Sherman tries to show this within her images of photography, here are some of Sherman’s images.

She photograph’s very feminine women. She shows elements of sexual desire and domination, the fashioning of self-identity as mass deception. Sherman recognizes those fixed identity concepts surrounding women, suggesting the possibility of women’s self-authorization in reality (self esteem).

This is done by By dressing up, posing, and photographing herself in different scenarios, Sherman effectively critiques the way women are portrayed in popular media. These images challenge the viewer to question their preconceived notions about identity and the roles society imposes upon women.

How does this relate to observe, seek & challenge?

This is particularly for Sherman’s elaborately “disguised” self-portraits that comment on social role-playing and sexual stereotypes. Sherman is trying to make a move and a change into women’s lives within her images. Images have a message, they are not just a picture. Especially when they are for the good.

One of my favourite images that Sherman took. This is because of the stereotypical change Sherman’s trying to make. The type of lighting id black and white, imitating that the image was taken in the early 1900s. The white balance is cool/cold which I really like in an image. There is deep historical and a connection to Sherman’s work which is this huge male misogyny and what women have to go through i.e. cat calling, women have to go through, whereas men get away with it and women “have to suffer in silence”. Even in 2024 some women are scared to leave the house at night but Sherman is trying to raise awareness for that.

Similarly, another one of Sherman’s images is one of her on the kitchen floor, cleaning and doing chores’ – once again you could assume this is for a man with kids. Which doesn’t just have thought but also the essence of the work itself. This image has low exposure for the shutter speed, the ISO is high light sensitivity and the white balance is cold temperature. Sherman is sitting down the floor, almost looking tired from doing so much. Each of her images have value and the deeper you go the deeper meaning each image has. The tone of Sherman’s image is dark (black and white) which you could say shows a sense of depression. The rule of thirds is in her images too you could argue.

Comparing both images

However comparing both images, you can see that they both rely deeper meaning within the image about women’s historical views such as equality and equal pay, women’s rights and women being able to vote. In 2024 you see a lot less of Using intimidating or humiliating behaviour to destroy a woman’s self-confidence and undermine her. Discriminating against women, for example a woman is not offered a job that she is qualified for because she is a woman or it is assumed that a woman can’t do something because she is a woman from what you would see back then which is why I love Sherman’s products as she projects issues from so long ago and is trying to make awareness just with a photograph. They are both in B&W of a “stereotypical” beautfuil housewife.