Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman (born January 15, 1954) is a world-renowned American artist, currently working in New York. Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, she grew up in Huntington, New York on Long Island. She was educated at Buffalo State College; although she enrolled as a painting student, her exposure to the innovative ideas of her colleagues at the artists' space Hallwalls convinced her to switch to photography, a medium conducive to Conceptual art.

Related Topics:
January 15 - 1954 - American - Artist - New York - Glen Ridge, New Jersey - Huntington, New York - Long Island - Buffalo State College - Hallwalls - Conceptual art

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Sherman works in series, typically photographing herself in a range of costumes, appearing as B-movie and European art film actresses, for example, in her landmark 70 photograph series, the Untitled Film Stills, (1977-1980). Her most recent series, dated 2003, features Sherman as "Clowns." Although Sherman does not consider her work feminist, many of her photo-series, like the 1982 "Centerfolds," call attention to the stereotyping of women in films, television and magazines. In 1989, in response to cuts to NEA funding and attempts to censor photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano, Sherman produced the "Sex" series of photographs featuring pieced-together medical dummies in flagrante delicto. Like much of Sherman's work, many critics find the series both disturbing and funny. Sherman is not only the most successful female artist of the modern era, but one of the most successful artists of either sex in the late twentieth century. She is almost singlehandedly responsible for making the large-format photograph a viable high-art commodity. She has as much influence on younger artists as Andy Warhol did in his era.

Related Topics:
Feminist - Stereotyping - NEA - Robert Mapplethorpe - Andres Serrano - In flagrante delicto - Andy Warhol

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Sherman has also worked as a film director; her first film was Office Killer in 1997, starring Jeanne Tripplehorn. She played a cameo role in John Waters' film, Pecker.

Related Topics:
Film - Director - Office Killer - Jeanne Tripplehorn - Cameo role - John Waters - Pecker

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Sherman has been referenced by the Electroclash artists Chicks on Speed in the track "Spoken by Stephanie from Marseille, Yes I Do" from the 2000 K Records album The Re-Releases of the Un-Releases.

Related Topics:
Electroclash - Chicks on Speed - K Records

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In 1995, Sherman was the recipient of one of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowships, popularly known as the "Genius Awards." This fellowship grants $500,000 over 5 years, no strings attached, to important scholars in a wide range of fields, in order to encourage their future creative work.

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