Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work consists of self-portraits experimenting with the concept of identity. She is most well-known for photographing herself under different guises that represented various personas. The characters she portrays represent identity stereotypes from throughout the history of art, advertising, cinema, and other media.
She began creating her series Untitled Film Stills when she was only 23 years old. These photographs featured herself in various costumes and poses that portrayed various female stereotypes found in film, television, and advertising.
One of her photographs, Untitled #117, can be found in the ongoing exhibition, Art History at a Glance (in gallery 4) at the Miami University Art Museum. Untitled #117 (1983) is a part of Sherman’s Fashion series. This piece features a feminine character emerging sickly and gaunt from between two black curtains.
On Thursday, November 7, Mary Ellen Goeke, founding director of FotoFocus, will be giving a presentation at the Miami University Art Museum where she will provide a post-modern critique of Cindy Sherman’s work with a special emphasis on the work Untitled #117.
If you’d like to learn more about Cindy Sherman and her Untitled #117, please join us for this Exhibition Talk on Thursday, November 7 at 5:50 PM that is co-sponsored by the Contemporary Artists Lecture Series.
Sources & Further Reading:
https://www.moma.org/artists/5392
https://www.thebroad.org/art/cindy-sherman
http://www.artnet.com/artists/cindy-sherman/