Untitled 1975

Cindy Sherman made this gelatin silver print, Untitled, at some point in her career, and it's a real trip. I can imagine her in her studio, surrounded by all sorts of props and costumes, trying on different personas like outfits. Look at that smile—it's familiar and unsettling all at once. She's playing a role, but who is she really? Maybe she doesn't even know. Think about the texture of the photograph: the way the light catches the sheen of her lipstick, the soft blur of the background. Sherman's reminding us that nothing is quite as it seems. It makes you question what is real. Sherman's work has always been about identity, and how it's constructed through images. Like other artists, she's asking questions about representation, about gender, about the gaze. It’s less about answers, more about keeping the conversation going, pushing our perceptions, and challenging our expectations.