Untitled #207 1989

Curator: Looking at Cindy Sherman's "Untitled #207" from 1989, I am immediately struck by how effectively she stages the pictorial field. The stark contrast, chiaroscuro lighting... It reminds me of old master paintings. Editor: There’s definitely a feeling of Renaissance portraiture here, but I'm more fascinated by the artifice. It screams 'handmade' - from the questionable bald cap to those heavily textured fabrics, nothing escapes the evidence of laborious crafting. Curator: The costuming is indeed pivotal; observe how it directs our reading of the figure. Is it a nun, a Renaissance dignitary? Sherman deliberately keeps the semiotic markers fluid, allowing for multiple interpretations. This blurring disrupts notions of identity. Editor: Precisely! It seems like an interrogation of material conditions of labor implied through craft – who made these robes? What’s the history embedded in these textiles and stage props Sherman deploys? These aspects pull me further away from the single narrative the image offers. Curator: The photograph operates within a tradition of female representation, yet cleverly subverts it. Instead of being an object, Sherman positions herself as the orchestrator, taking control of the gaze. She becomes the author of her own image. Editor: But how does Sherman engage with production itself? Think about photographic processing: the manipulation of light, film, and developing—the very labour that delivers this aesthetic and, by extension, meaning, too. It's more than mere surface, don’t you think? Curator: Undoubtedly, it’s a highly mediated construction, pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium itself. Yet it also points toward enduring cultural narratives—beauty, power, femininity—revealing how they are produced. Editor: So, we agree the material choices speak volumes; whether a deliberate nod to handicraft or even referencing manufacturing realities via photography and stage work. Either way, it makes this image linger in the mind. Curator: Yes, and understanding how this was staged adds yet another fascinating layer. It gives even more depth and context. Editor: For me it is really a great example of work, both artistic and other production labors, blending to create a complex viewing experience.