Weekly Selfie #2
The Cindy Sherman Effect - Phoebe Hoban
1. "'Now we all take it for granted that a photograph can be Photoshopped. We live in the era of YouTube fame and reality-TV shows and makeovers, where you can be anything you want to be any minute of the day, and artists are responding to that. Cindy was one of the first to explore the idea of the malleability or fluidity of identity.' "
Within the article the author, Phoebe Hoban, includes these words from MoMA photography curator Eva Respini. Respini is emphasizing the influence that younger artists take away from Cindy Sherman's early self-image work. Sherman's photography through the 1970s and 1990s was some of the first to focus around representation and the the concept of fluid identity. She used things such as costumes and make up to transform herself into different characters, as well as many versions of herself. Today, with technology such as social media and photoshop, it is easy for artists to explore themselves and create their own persona. Sherman pioneered a lot of modern day thinking concerning younger artists and self-perception.
2. "And by limiting her subject matter strictly to herself, while at the same time excavating countless permutations, she inspired a generation of younger artists to explore their own identities across a range of mediums."
Cindy Sherman was best known for using strictly her physical entity as the subject for her portraiture work. Sherman introduced self-portraits using photography; something many artists were not doing at the time. Hoban, the writer of the article, discusses that Sherman did not only influence photographers but artists across various different mediums. Whether it was through painting, performance, or picture, Sherman inspired artists to explore themselves. The sole focus of one's self-identity guides those to produce unique pieces that are niche and meaningful.
The Ugly Beauty of Cindy Sherman - Parul Sehgal
1. "Sherman herself is reluctant to discuss the meaning of her work; she is amused by the interpretive frenzy it provokes."
While reading this article on Cindy Sherman by Parul Sehgal, I read a few small excerpts that were easy to relate to as an artist. A lot of Sherman's work can be viewed as controversial, and has been known to cause uproar among audiences. I believe that art is meant to be interpretive; that the beauty within a piece is in the eye of the beholder. As an artist, I want someone to look at my work and feel something. I don't want there to be one, specific meaning to any piece. I want viewers to find that meaning and resinate with it themselves. Therefore, it is completely understandable to me why Sherman does not like to explain her work or why she created it.
2. "She has worked alone since then, with her camera and mirror and prosthetics. “Nobody’s here but me,” she says, in the documentary of that name."
Similar to the first quote I chose from this article, this excerpt made me reflect on how I see myself as an artist. Most, if not all of the time, everything idea I produce is one hundred percent created by myself. When I have an idea, I do not await approval. Instead, I go ahead and execute it to the best of my ability; because my work is a reflection of myself. Sherman seems to have the same idea. The validity of others does not matter; her best tool is her artistic mind. Through this alone, she has found great success in her work.
untitled #137. 1984 - Cindy Sherman
My interpretation
I tried to mimic Sherman's sad and disheveled look in this recreation. I also used some filters to try and get a similar version of the dirty background she used.
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