Cindy Sherman was born in 1954 she is an American Photographer born and film maker who mostly explores gender and identity. What made her famous is the use of her own body in roles or personas in her work, with her seminal untitled Film Stills ( 1997-1980) being particularly important. These black and white photographs feature the artist herself as a model in various costumes and poses, and are her portrayals of female stereotypes found in film, television, and advertising. Sherman examines and distorts femininity as a social construct ” I like making images that from distance seem kind of seductive, colourful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you’re looking at is something totally opposite, ” she reflected. ” It seems seems boring to me pursue the typical idea of beauty, because that is the easiest and the most obvious way to see the world. It’s more challenging to look at the other side.”

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Analyse

Visual

In this image Sherman is portraying as a house wife her hair is done and so is her make up, and she is also wearing a put together top. This can symbolize the stereotypical women that always has to look her best even when cleaning. The image is situated in a kitchen which is stereotypical place for women around her there are dishes and soap. She is standing wish a hand on the counter and the other one placed around her belly this can suggest her insecurity even when she is put together. Her gave is on something behind her might be her husband. And the her face expression looks uncomfortable.

Technical

Looking st the picture I can see the the objects on the counter around her are unfocused this suggests that the image has a wider aperture. The shutter speed is most likely fast since the subject ( women) is in complete focus. I would say that this picture was taken in a low angle comparing it to the women, I think that the camera was placed on the counter top I say this because the objects are in the way of the camera. This image is definitely a half body shot.

Contextual

Historically, women have often been portrayed in the media through limiting and stereotypical roles. The common roles include domestic caretaker who spends her day cleaning, making food, taking care of the children, prepare, dinner before the husband comes home, always looks put together while the husband goes to work a gains a lot of money. Women in Hollywood were extremely sexualized instead of being their own person with a personality they were seen as an object that sometimes it cleans and sometimes it looks beautiful and makes children. Media concisely showed women as inferior to men. They were seen as very week, always In need of help from a male character. Images of women’s appearance, hair, weight and voice consistently been distorted towards sexual attractiveness.

Conceptual

Cindy Sherman’s untitled films Stills series critiques how Hollywood and mass media construct identity and stereotypes, particularly for women. Sherman posed as typical characters from old movies and shows that those roles are fake and created to meet society’s expectations. Her photos exposes how media reduces women’s roles to simpler.