Cindy Sherman
Untitled A-E (1975)
Facing Fashion: Self-Portraits as a Canvas for Creation and Confrontation
FOMU (Fotomuseum | Photo Museum) presents the first major solo exhibition in Belgium dedicated to the iconic American artist Cindy Sherman (New Jersey, USA, born 1954). Spanning five decades of her career, the exhibition showcases over 100 works that reveal Sherman’s incisive critique of identity, beauty standards, and societal expectations. Using heavy makeup, wigs and costumes in her groundbreaking self-portraits, Sherman blends wit and subversion to challenge conventional norms. Fashion plays a central role in her work, marked by a complex dynamic of attraction and repulsion as she both collaborates with and critiques the fashion industry.
The opening section of the exhibition highlights Cindy Sherman’s early works from 1975 to 1980, where she began exploring the inherent ambiguity of fashion as both inspiration and subject. In pieces like ‘Cover Girls’ and ‘Doll Clothes’, Sherman examines fashion’s dual role: as a vehicle for self-expression and identity formation, yet also a tool for reinforcing stereotypes and imposing rigid gender and social expectations. Drawing from the conceptual and feminist art movements of the time, Sherman employed performance, film, and photography to forge a unique voice in contemporary art. Her ‘Untitled Film Stills’ series (1977–1980) brought her international recognition and solidified her place in the art world. Using black-and-white photography, Sherman transformed herself into various female archetypes—ranging from vamp to housewife—evoking the imagery of 1950s–60s Hollywood films, film noir, and European arthouse cinema. The series critiques how mass media perpetuates stereotypes of femininity.
The exhibition continues with ‘Anti-Fashion’, delving into the intersection of Cindy Sherman’s independent practice and her collaborations with the fashion industry. In 1983, Sherman undertook her first fashion commission, creating a campaign for Dianne Benson’s New York boutiques. Rejecting traditional notions of glamour, she posed in unconventional ways—ruffled hair, exaggerated dark circles under her eyes—all while wearing designer clothing. That same year, her photographs were featured in ‘Interview’ magazine and exhibited at Metro Pictures Gallery.
As mass media and consumerism gained momentum, fashion campaigns began to resemble artistic creations. Throughout the 1980s, Sherman received additional assignments from the fashion world but remained true to her distinctive vision. Her provocative approach to fashion photography, which actively challenges distorted beauty standards, often shocked clients. Some of her images, deemed too unconventional and defiant of advertising norms, were rejected.
In the 1990s, the fashion avant-garde fully embraced controversy, with deviation from established norms becoming a symbol of strength and innovation. Cindy Sherman's photography was a perfect fit for this evolving landscape, as her bold and unconventional images aligned with the rebellious spirit of the era. Her collaboration with the avant-garde Japanese fashion house Comme des Garçons in 1994 exemplified this shift. She created an alienating series of distorted bodies that blurred the lines between advertising and visual art.
During this decade, Sherman created some of her most provocative works, including the ‘Disasters’ and ‘Sex Pictures’ series. hese works incorporated grotesque and unsettling imagery, using prosthetics, masks, and dolls for the first time to critique societal ideals of beauty. Despite her prominent imagery, Sherman never mocked her characters; instead she sought to highlight their humanity and to challenge the distorted beauty standards rooted in patriarchal and heteronormative frameworks.
Cindy Sherman’s recent work delves into the growing influence of digital media on society, using altered backgrounds and digitally manipulated facial features to critique modern image culture. She often integrates her fashion assignments into personal photography series, such as her 2016 collaboration with ‘Harper’s Bazaar’. For this project, Sherman transformed influencers and fashion bloggers into exaggerated characters set against iconic fashion week locations. Later, she replaced these backgrounds with landscapes from her own travels, adding a surreal feel to the images.
By embracing digital tools and social media, Sherman deepens her exploration of artificiality and its impact on human identity in the digital age. In her 2010 collaboration with Chanel, she used haute couture archives and digitally altered facial alterations to create unexpected portraits, forming the foundation for her ‘Landscapes' series, blending fashion with rough nature settings. Her ‘Men’ series (2019-2020), commissioned by Stella McCartney, marked her first exploration of masculinity. She transforms into fluid, androgynous characters, juxtaposing traditional power dynamics with vulnerability, questioning conventional gender norms.
Cindy Sherman's photography is undeniably thought-provoking, encouraging contemplation on society's expectations of beauty, identity, and traditional roles, mainly using self-portraits as a medium. The dual nature of fashion adds depth to her critique - she uses it to challenge norms while simultaneously participating in its commercial system. This ability to collaborate with the fashion industry while questioning its foundations it is both rare and powerful.
Equally remarkable is how Sherman has evolved over the decades, as she seamlessly incorporates the digital era and the influence of social media into her imagery. Her ability to adapt while staying true to her artistic mission speaks to her enduring relevance and continued ability to provoke thought in her artistic practice.
Cindy Sherman – Early Works 1975-1980 is developed in collaboration with Gabriele Schor, Founding Director of the VERBUND COLLECTION, Vienna.
Cindy Sherman - Anti-Fashion is realised by the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in cooperation with Cindy Sherman’s studio in New York and her gallery Hauser & Wirth.
‘Cindy Sherman - Anti-Fashion’ can be visited from September 28,2024 until February 2, 2025 at FOMU.
Waalsekaai 47 - 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Photos of exhibition (c) Cultuurtoerist.