Untitled #93

More Information

A key figure among contemporary artists, Sherman uses herself as a model in photographs that are not self-portraits but rather studies in which she portrays a range of stereotypical female characters. By presenting such characters as types—such as the sex object, housewife or victim—rather than individuals, Sherman questions the way women are regarded in contemporary American society and the media. Untitled #93 comes from the artist’s Centerfolds series, which was commissioned but never published by Artforum magazine. Sherman employed a horizontal format to mimic the centerfold layout of adult magazines and dramatic lighting, clothing and gesture to create a heightened psychological and cinematic effect. The tight cropping and shot-from-above perspective of the image together create an intrusive intimacy between the viewer and subject, though the narrative remains intentionally ambiguous.

Keywords

Color
Self portraits
Sexuality
American
Contemporary Art
Female