Untitled Film Still #6 1977

Cindy Sherman made this black and white photograph, Untitled Film Still #6, without a date. She is a master of disguise and role-play, and I see the photo as a kind of performance with a camera, the resulting images are a process of becoming. The image presents a woman in her underwear lying on a bed. The light is grainy and soft, reminding me of old movies. Look how her eyes are directed up, as though she is in a daze. It's easy to see how she has captured a certain kind of moment, not polished but gritty and real. I like the way Sherman has used her own body as a material. It makes me think of the artist Hannah Wilke, who used her own image and body in similar ways, as though asking the viewer to consider how representation works. Sherman shows us that art is not just about pretty pictures, it is also a way of asking questions and pushing boundaries.