Cindy Sherman opened at MoMA this Sunday & last Tuesday I was able to attend the opening reception. This exhibition has been generating a lot of buzz & the opening was well attended.
I didn't think I was familiar with Sherman's work until I looked her up & came across her "Untitled Film Stills" series. These are a series of black & white photographs shot to resemble stills from films. The images were taken between 1977 to 1980, but reflect films shot in the 1950s and 60s. In these photos, Sherman takes the idea of the female character in film & pushes it further. She is the typical damsel in distress, the jealous housewife, or the shy yet sweet girl next door. Each photo captures a different character & a different emotion. Even in these early photos, Sherman is able to alter her appearance & change her personality enough so you don't think you've been seeing the same woman over & over. I like how this series acts as portraits of the roles women play on film, elevating them from objects of desire into flesh & blood figures that have lives beyond what the film shows.
The entire series is on view within the second gallery of the exhibition--I need to revisit them since it was so crowded during the opening. Below are some of my favorites, taken from MoMA's exhibition site:
I feel the exhibition gives a nice overview of Cindy Sherman's work & makes effort to highlight her earlier work, so viewers can see how she has developed over time (pun not intended). Enjoy some of my photos of the opening below:
I didn't think I was familiar with Sherman's work until I looked her up & came across her "Untitled Film Stills" series. These are a series of black & white photographs shot to resemble stills from films. The images were taken between 1977 to 1980, but reflect films shot in the 1950s and 60s. In these photos, Sherman takes the idea of the female character in film & pushes it further. She is the typical damsel in distress, the jealous housewife, or the shy yet sweet girl next door. Each photo captures a different character & a different emotion. Even in these early photos, Sherman is able to alter her appearance & change her personality enough so you don't think you've been seeing the same woman over & over. I like how this series acts as portraits of the roles women play on film, elevating them from objects of desire into flesh & blood figures that have lives beyond what the film shows.
The entire series is on view within the second gallery of the exhibition--I need to revisit them since it was so crowded during the opening. Below are some of my favorites, taken from MoMA's exhibition site:
 |
| Untitled Film Still 51, 1979 |
 |
| Untitled Film Still 57, 1980 |
 |
| Untitled Film Still 59, 1980 |
 |
| Untitled Film Still 63, 1980 |
I feel the exhibition gives a nice overview of Cindy Sherman's work & makes effort to highlight her earlier work, so viewers can see how she has developed over time (pun not intended). Enjoy some of my photos of the opening below:
 |
| Entrance to the exhibition; the font changes every few seconds |
 |
| Untitled Film Stills |
 |
| Untitled Film Stills |
 |
| Untitled #489, 1976. Read more here |