Module 4

Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #21, 1978, Gelatin Silver Print

In creation of the Untitled Film Stills, Cindy Sherman is definitely sincere in regards to the fact that her work does not relate to theory. She claims that she does not think of theory when she creates something. She gets so concentrated and dedicated to the project she works on that she forgets about everything surrounding her, eliminates things that can distract her, such as paperwork and emails, and lets herself into the world of her personal expression and inspiration. I think that it is fine for the artist not to consider any theory while creating a piece. Certainly, in her Untitled Film Still #21 (1978) Sherman intends to express her concerns about the culture and mass media through the role of the small-town girl craving to get to know the Big City life. Perhaps, she intends to express some other ideas as well – we do not know that for sure. What we know is that sometimes Sherman herself is not aware of some interpretations that have existed out there and surrounded her work, so she (qtd. in Barrett) says,

There were times I would read something and I wouldn’t understand what the hell they were talking about or where they got that idea; there were times when I’d say, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right, though I wasn’t thinking of it when I was doing it. I work without really pondering what I am doing (Barrett 187).

Untitled Film Stills are among the first artifacts to be called postmodern. But it’s pretty common when artist’s intentions do not go side by side with scholarly debates. Sherman is well aware that her Untitled Film Stills often relate to feminist theory. She says, “I don’t want to have to explain myself. The work is what it is and hopefully it’s seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I’m not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshit about feminist stuff” (Barrett 188). Her statements do not necessarily mean that she’s not well educated in art theory and that she simply lacks the knowledge of it. Sherman does not care what theory ‘they’ relate her work to because her work is driven by her inner impulse and inspiration rather than theoretical knowledge.

I believe that her Sex Pictures series probably reflect some aspect of theory. These pictures are not sexy (or even erotic). They do not feature Sherman herself in them even though she posed for the majority of her earlier work. They depict plastic dolls arranged in shocking and often violent compositions. These series make people think, and think deeply. I don’t feel that theory begins to lead Sherman’s work, but she is definitely aware of the fact that theory will be applied to it.

I believe that an artist does not have to be consciously guided by theory. Otherwise, art would become more like a science where every event/element/condition can be expressed through the formula or equation. There is no formula in art, and as a result such thing as “art for art’s sake” exists. In fact, there were many artists in art history who were not educated as a professional artist and did not have any idea about theory at all (for example, Henry Rousseau). Understanding theory, and especially intricate postmodern theories, is not what makes a person an artist.

WORK CITED:

Barrett, Terry. Why Is That Art?: Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art. Oxford University Press. 2012

Sherman, Cindy. “Untitled Film Still #21, 1978.” Moma.org, © 2017 Cindy Sherman, www.moma.org/collection/works/56618.