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Cindy Sherman

Exploring Portraiture
Coloring Activity

Greenwich April 15th, 2020

Untitled Film Still #21, 1978
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Cindy Sherman: Portraiture

Film was an early source of inspiration for Cindy Sherman. Her early, small format black and white photographs bring to mind nostalgic memories of scenes in certain films although one cannot immediately identify these: generally these consist of a figure without any particular distinguishing features alone in some rural, urban or domestic situation. The figure in them seems vaguely at home and yet oddly alien as though it does not really belong there.In fact, this figure in a variety of outfits turns out to be the artist herself. Allowing her imagination to run free in a whole series of roles, she nevertheless concealed her own identity behind striking masks she adopted, revealing nothing of her own personality, other perhaps than to hint that she was going all of this as an alien in an alien world. 1

1 Art of the 20th Century

RELATED LINKS

Remembering Henry’s Show: Selected Works 1978-2008 (The Brant Foundation, Greenwich)

Remembering Henry’s Show Exhibition Catalogue

Cindy Sherman: Postcards

Cindy Sherman: The Complete Untitled Film Stills

 

EXPLORING PORTRAITURE

Cindy Sherman changes her appearance and setting in various ways to create different scenes in her photographs. The image on the bottom, a diptych by Richard Prince, shows the two artists dressed in the same “costume,” making it difficult to identify who is who. Go through some of your own clothes to create three different looks and photograph yourself, or someone else, in the outfits. Experiment with taking the photos in different settings and with props from around your house, or take the photographs against a white wall so you can print them out and add your own design or scene in the background. If possible, work with someone else in your house to create your own collaboration, like Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman did in the image above.

  • Cindy Sherman Art Activity

CINDY SHERMAN COLORING PAGE

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