Untitled #200 1989

Editor: Here we have Cindy Sherman's "Untitled #200," made in 1989 using mixed media and photography. It presents what seems like a costumed figure against a theatrical backdrop. There’s something unsettling about the stillness of the pose and the pallor of the face. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This image offers a powerful commentary on the construction of identity, particularly female identity, within patriarchal systems. Consider Sherman's use of costume; it’s not just adornment, but a tool to expose the performative nature of femininity itself. What historical references do you notice in the styling and composition? Editor: I see the old fashioned dress, like something from a historical drama or even a fairytale illustration. Is she critiquing those stereotypical roles assigned to women? Curator: Precisely! By drawing upon familiar visual tropes from art history and popular culture, Sherman highlights the limited roles women have been historically allowed to occupy. Her “self-portrait” isn't about revealing her true self, but rather deconstructing the very notion of a fixed female identity. How does the makeup contribute to this, in your opinion? Editor: It’s like a mask, concealing and revealing simultaneously, and kind of ghostly. It doesn't feel like she’s trying to portray a specific character. Curator: Right. This ambiguity is central to Sherman’s project. The viewer is invited to confront the artifice and question the gaze, power dynamics, and constructed narratives present in visual representations of women. Editor: It’s interesting how it makes you think about what isn't there—a story, a "real" person—more than what is. I'll never look at historical portraits the same way. Curator: And that is exactly the point, isn't it? The photo dismantles visual representation.