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Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography

American, b. 1954

One of the most influential American contemporary photographers, Cindy Sherman has centered her work on transformation. In self-portraits that evoke the tropes of cinema and advertising, she has transformed herself to experiment with ideas of identity, particularly related to the expectations for women. Sherman is one of the most significant artists of the Pictures Generation, a group of artists who have utilized appropriation and montage to reveal the constructed nature of images, including Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger, David Salle and Robert Longo.

Sherman was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in 1954. Growing up in Long Beach, she was immersed in the television and film culture of the era — the Cold War, nuclear bombs, capitalism and the increasing onslaught of images selling an ever-growing array of commercial products. In 1972, she attended the State University of New York in Buffalo and majored in painting, but she became enthralled with photography and switched her major, graduating in 1976. 

Shortly after graduation, she began to work on one of her best-known series, the “Untitled Film Stills.” For the 70 black-and-white photographs that mimic publicity stills used to advertise movies, she was both the photographer and the subject. The work debuted in 1980 to critical acclaim and international recognition.

During the 1980s, Sherman began to shoot with color film and use prosthetics and stage makeup. She explored the grotesque and malevolent by creating photographs portraying eating disorders, insanity and death. Her work further focused on how society maintains and perpetuates stereotypical roles for women. 

Her manipulation of identity through images has influenced many photographers, including Ryan Trecartin, Lisa Yuskavage and Tracey Ullman. In 2000, Sherman’s work was exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. In 2012, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held a retrospective of her work. The National Portrait Gallery in London held a retrospective in 2019. 

Major museums around the world have collected her work, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her photographs frequently fetch record prices at auction.

On 1stdibs, find Cindy Sherman’s photography, prints and multiples, mixed media and more.

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Artist: Cindy Sherman
Mrs. Claus
By Cindy Sherman
Located in New York, NY
Created by Cindy Sherman in 1990, Mrs. Claus is an original chromogenic print that is hand-signed and dated on the verso from an edition of 125, measuring 14 x 11 in. (36 x 28 cm), u...
Category

20th Century Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

The Nine Lives of Cindy, porcelain plate & official COA in box Lt Edition of 100
By Cindy Sherman
Located in New York, NY
Cindy Sherman The Nine Lives of Cindy, 2019 Printed Bone Porcelain 12 1/2 in diameter Limited Edition of 100 Plate signed verso and also accompanied by plate signed documentation card/official Certificate of Authenticity In original box Produced exclusively for the National Portrait Gallery in the United Kingdom on the occasion of the 2019 Cindy Sherman exhibition which also traveled to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Acquired directly from the National Portrait Gallery before it sold out. Cindy Sherman Biography: Born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Cindy Sherman lives and works in New York NY. Her ground-breaking photographs have interrogated themes around representation and identity in contemporary media for over four decades. Coming to prominence in the late 1970s with the Pictures Generation group alongside artists such as Sherrie Levine, Richard Prince and Louise Lawler, Sherman studied art at Buffalo State College in 1972 where she turned her attention to photography. In 1977, shortly after moving to New York, Sherman began her critically acclaimed Untitled Film Stills. A suite of 69 black and white portraits, Untitled Film Stills sees Sherman impersonate a myriad of stereotypical female characters and caricatures inspired by Hollywood pictures, film noir, and B movies. Using a range of costumes, props and backdrops to manipulate her own appearance and to create photographs resembling promotional film images, the series explores the tension between artifice and identity in consumer culture which has preoccupied the artist’s practice ever since. Sherman continued to channel and reconstruct familiar personas known to the collective psyche, often in unsettling ways. In 1981, the artist created her Centerfolds, a series of photographic double spreads inspired by men’s erotic magazines...
Category

2010s Contemporary Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain, Paper, Mixed Media, Screen

Untitled
By Cindy Sherman
Located in New York, NY
Color photograph (Edition of 300) 39 x 30 inches, sheet 28 x 19.5 inches, image This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Artist Cindy Sherman employs makeup,...
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Early 2000s Contemporary Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

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Since the late 1970's Cindy Sherman has donned an array of personas, disguises and costumes to explore how woman are perceived, presented and judged in visual culture. In the 20th century images of pregnant woman are highly uncommon and considered almost taboo. In 1991, the year of this work Demi Moore challenged this lack of representation by posing pregnant and nude on the cover of Vanity Fair. In this image, Sherman's character appears with similarly short hair and an exaggerated fashion face pose. Is Sherman mocking Demi Moore? Is she suggesting that Moore's aesthetic could be adopted by women? Is the woman in this image even pregnant, or presenting a protruding stomach as a fashion trend? Regardless of how you interpret this work, it is undisputedly Sherman at her best. Cindy Sherman is one of the most successful living female artists with nearly 20 works that have achieved more than $1 million at auction. This is a fantastic (and accessible) example of a Cindy Sherman photograph...
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Doctor and Nurse 1980-87
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Madonna
By Cindy Sherman
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Since the late 1970's Cindy Sherman has donned an array of personas, disguises and costumes to explore how woman are perceived, presented and judged in Western culture. This work, Untitled (Madonna), can be found in numerous collections around the world including the Savannah College of Art and Designs collection, visit their website for their full description of this work. An excerpt of SCAD’s description reads: “In this black-and-white portrait, Sherman plays the role of the Madonna. Although she is shrouded in a white veil like a classically rendered religious figure, Sherman’s elongated eye lashes, accentuated lips and pomaded dual horn-like curls peaking out from beneath her veil play with the traditional historic depiction. Her stylized image could be a reference to the “new woman” of the 1920’s whose liberated views on sexuality are in direct opposition to the virginal, biblical Madonna. Reprinted in the 1990’s, the portrait may also be considered a reference to the contemporary and controversial pop singer of the same name.” Was it a coincidence that Madonna (the pop super-star) sponsored the massive “Cindy Sherman: The Complete Untitled Film Stills” exhbition at MOMA in 1995. Was reprinting this work, over 20 years after its creation a homage of sorts? Today, Sherman is one of the most successful living female artists with nearly 20 works that have achieved more than $1 million at auction. This is a fantastic (and accessible) example of a Cindy Sherman photograph...
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Located in Toronto, Ontario
This is a fantastic early Cindy Sherman - a perfect icon reflecting the artist's modus operandi. By the end of 1983, Sherman was already a rising art world superstar. She had only ...
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Untitled (Lineup Series), 1977 - 2011
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Located in Los Angeles, CA
Biography Born in Glen Ridge, 1954 State University of New York, Buffalo, 1976 Lives and works in New York City Major Collections The Museum of Modern Art, New York The Metropoli...
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Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography

Cindy Sherman portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Cindy Sherman portrait photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Cindy Sherman in c print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Cindy Sherman portrait photography, so small editions measuring 30 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jill Greenberg, Amy Stein, and Rachel Papo.
Questions About Cindy Sherman Portrait Photography
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Cindy Sherman is an American photographer known for creating outlandish portraits that often depicted sexual stereotypes and commented on social role-playing. You can shop a selection of Cindy Sherman pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Cindy Sherman is known for her self-portraits. Over the course of her career, she has produced many photographs of herself in various costumes to make statements about gender stereotypes and other social issues. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Cindy Sherman photographic art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024
    Cindy Sherman's most famous piece is arguably her “Untitled Film Stills.” The American artist produced this series of 70 black-and-white photographs between 1977 and 1980. Each image shows Sherman in the guise of an actress playing a role in an arthouse film or B-movie. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse assortment of Cindy Sherman art.

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