Untitled Film Still #49 1979

Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Still #49, is part of a series made using photography, a medium deeply entwined with industrial production and cultural consumption. Sherman uses herself as the model, costuming and staging herself to resemble female characters from film. She uses this construction to explore the performative nature of identity. The final photographic print is the end result of a process that imitates the modes of film production. The image is a black and white photograph, lending it a gritty realism. It is reminiscent of film noir and the aesthetics of mid-century American cinema. Sherman takes on the role of director, costume designer, model, and photographer. This mirrors the division of labor inherent in filmmaking. This raises the questions of authorship, labor, and the construction of identity, blurring the lines between art and mass media. Ultimately, Sherman's stills remind us that art isn't just about the final product. It's about the social and industrial context in which it's made and viewed.