Cindy Sherman is a renowned artist from the Pictures Generation, a group of artists who sought to critique and analyze their relationship with popular culture and mass media. Sherman grew up on Long Island, New York, and in 1972, she enrolled at the State University of New York at Buffalo, initially majoring in painting before switching to photography. Her work is defined by her use of self-portraiture to create fictional characters, exploring themes such as identity, representation, and the construction of femininity. Through her art, Sherman challenges the societal norms and expectations placed on women. While Sherman herself contends that her images are not self-portraits, I believe that, technically, they still function as such, as she uses herself to explore and question the roles and stereotypes imposed on women.
Mood Board of her work
Image Analysis
Mise en scene
It is the arrangement of the scenery. Sherman has used it effectively to portray the woman as a house wife sort of person. The way she is stood over the sink with the white basket for dirty plates and cutlery and washing up liquid near her is very stereotypical. also you can see a pan in the bottom left and a mug bottom centre which she looks to be cleaning. The woman is also wearing an apron tied around her waist.
Visual
Sherman has taken on the role of a housewife preparing a meal for her family, as indicated by her apron and the cooking supplies visible in the frame. The photo appears to have been taken at the kitchen counter, with part of her head cropped out, emphasizing the cramped space and the sense of confinement she may be experiencing. She stands at the counter, holding her stomach and looking over her shoulder, conveying a sense of worry or concern about what might be happening behind her. The act of cradling her stomach suggests protectiveness, possibly toward herself or an unborn child. The overall atmosphere is one of unease, further emphasized by the tight space around her, as she is positioned against the wall, hinting at isolation. Her placement to the right third of the image subtly reinforces her secondary role or diminished importance in the scene.
Technical
The shutter speed in this image is relatively fast, ensuring the subject remains in sharp focus with a well-balanced exposure, despite the monochrome palette. The camera angle is positioned lower, enhancing the sense that we are either sharing the moment with her or observing the scene from an outsider’s viewpoint, much like a friend. The composition is a half-body shot, focusing on her waist and above, which adds intimacy by bringing us closer to her—rather than seeing her full body from a distance. The aperture appears small, keeping most of the image in focus, although the depth of field is shallow, with the pan handle in the foreground blurred.
Contextual
Historically, women have often been depicted in the media as housewives whose roles were limited to depending on men, staying at home to clean, cook, and care for children. They were also expected to maintain their appearance for their husbands, always having their makeup and hair done, in addition to fulfilling these domestic duties. This portrayal reduced women to objects, reinforcing traditional gender roles. However, Sherman subverted these stereotypes by dressing as these idealized women, challenging the media’s narrow and unrealistic representations. Through her series Untitled Film Stills, she highlighted that these portrayals are mere stereotypes, not reflective of the diverse and complex reality of womanhood.
Conceptual
Given the context, it’s clear that Cindy Sherman is the subject in every one of her images. She uses herself to embody various stereotypes, critiquing the film industry through her Untitled Film Stills series. By choosing this title, Sherman targets the film industry as the source of these limited, dominant portrayals of women. By acting as the subject, she mocks the media’s idealized image of the “typical” woman, revealing how these depictions are fabricated. Sherman exaggerates her features, using fake noses and eyebrows to transform her appearance, highlighting the artificiality of these representations. Her work also resonates with today’s media landscape, where many young girls are influenced by models who embody similar stereotypes of femininity, something Sherman was already challenging in her time.
Linking Image
In this pseudo-self portrait, Sherman assumes the persona of Claude Cahun, pioneer of self-portraiture and the French surrealist movement. Like Sherman, Cahun’s interdisciplinary and political art practice explored notions of gender performance, using masquerade and costumes to play with identity construction for the camera.
Close-cropped and black and white, Sherman highlights the artists’ signature French mime makeup and confrontational gaze. She holds a piece of silk fabric tightly bound at her chin.
Claude Cahun
Like Sherman, Cahun’s interdisciplinary and political art practice explored notions of gender performance, using masquerade and costumes to play with identity construction for the camera. Close-cropped and black and white, Sherman highlights the artists’ signature French mime makeup and confrontational gaze.
Her work left a huge impression on photography and directly influenced contemporary photographer Cindy Sherman who developed a fascination for disguise.