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.
Cindy Sherman fashion advertisement 1983 (advertisement)
By Cindy Sherman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cindy Sherman Issey Miyake 1983: A RARE 1980s fashion campaign advertisement, featuring photography by Cindy Sherman in conjunction with famed Japanese fashion designer, Issey Miyake...
Paper
$199Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.5 in W 22.5 in D 0.1 in
1967 Stanley Mouse "Joint Show" Psychedelic Advertisement Print
Located in San Carlos, CA
Cool vintage 1967 psychedelic print by Stanley Mouse announcing a joint show with his fellow 1960's psychedelic artists Wes Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin...
Paper
Set of Four 1930s Advertisement Prints
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These four prints from the 1920s to 1930s have a red theme. Advertisements from various cosmetics of the time. Temporarily framed in a basic black wood frame. Sold as a set, Item...
Wood
$1,800
H 10 in W 6.5 in D 1 in
Cindy Sherman - Untitled #205, 1989CINDY SHERMAN (B. 1954) Untitled #205, 1989 P
By Cindy Sherman
Located in Dallas, TX
CINDY SHERMAN (B. 1954) Untitled #205, 1989 Photo Litho, 2008 6.5 x 10
Paper
Robert Motherwell 'Mulligan's Tower' Etching, 1983
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Dallas, TX
Robert Motherwell (America, 1915-1991) was a pioneer in the Abstract Expressionist art movement which flourished in New York City in the mid 20th Century. As a painter, printmaker a...
Paper
$980
H 40.25 in W 14.5 in D 0.125 in
Vintage Chinese Deco White Horse Cigarette Advertisement Poster, 1936
Located in Chicago, IL
This calendar advertisement poster for White Horse cigarettes was produced by Hu Boxiang, a famous commercial advertising artist in Shanghai during the 1920s-1930s. Framed in a highly ornate floral border, a fashionable woman poses while gathering plum blossoms, emblems of winter and eternal beauty. Dressed in a traditional qipao but with Western hairstyle and accessories, the woman reflects the rising influence of Western advertising and the Art Deco movement during the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai. Beneath this scene is a calendar for the year 1936, surrounded by packs of prominent cigarette brands...
Paper
Art Deco Period Jewelry Advertisements, Gattle and Co.
By Cartier
Located in Riverdale, NY
Wonderful folio of Art Deco Period Jewelry Advertisements made for E.M. Gattle and Co. circa 1930's. Made to promote their shops in NY, Atlantic City and Miami Beach. Perfect for fra...
Paper
Vintage Charm: St. Raphael Quinquina 1920s French Advertisement
Located in Hamburg, DE
Elevate your appreciation for the past with this captivating 1920s French magazine advertisement featuring St. Raphael Quinquina Rouge and Blanc. This original offset print, encased ...
Glass, Wood, Paper
1880s Italian Shoe Advertisement
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1880s Italian shoe advertisement from a Southampton, NY estate.
Paper
Vintage Chinese 1930s Advertisement Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
This vintage poster from the 1930s features a fashionably dressed young mother posing with her son and daughter. The poster may have been given as a g...
Paper
$178
H 11.19 in W 15.83 in D 0.01 in
Victorian Cultural and Equestrian Highlights: Scottish Gathering & Advertisement
Located in Langweer, NL
Page 1: Scottish Gathering, Glasgow Exhibition, and Albert Gate Buildings This hand-colored wood engraving, published in The Illustrated London News on May 26, 1888, features thre...
Paper
Vintage Advertisement Poster of 'Thermos Pudding' 'c.1950'
Located in Langweer, NL
Vintage advertisement poster titled 'Jan neem vlug een pakje Thermos pudding'. Printed in relief. Published cica 1950.
Paper
Vintage Chinese Hatamen Cigarettes Advertisement Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
This framed advertising poster for Hatamen Cigarettes from the late 1920s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the nuanced color and fine resolution of co...
Paper