Untitled Film Still #44

Cindy Sherman

1979

Gelatin silver print

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

Cindy Sherman (Born 1954 in Glen Ridge, NJ) is known for identity-morphing “self-portraits” that explore female character types. Since her days as a student in Buffalo in the mid-1970s, Sherman has been taking increasingly flamboyant photographs of herself in staged environments, transforming her appearance with costumes, makeup, wigs, and props. She began the black-and-white photographic series Untitled Film Stills (1977–80) shortly after moving to New York City. Ultimately comprising sixty-nine images, Untitled Film Stills presents images that reiterate stereotypes of postwar femininity. In this reimagining of the genre of portrai