Exhibition
The exhibition took place from 26 January to 26 September 2012.
CINDY SHERMAN. That’s me – That’s not me. Early work 1975-1977
From 26 January to 26 September 2012, the VERBUND COLLECTION, Vienna, presented the largely unknown early work of the artist Cindy Sherman.
Contrary to previous assumptions, the famous Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980) are not Sherman’s first works; that honour goes to a comprehensive early work produced in 1975 to 1977, which was to form the foundation of her future œuvre. Sherman’s early work is decisively determined by the artistic forms of expression that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, such as film, video, photography, installations, performances, concept art and body art.
Curator:
Curated by Gabriele Schor, founding director of the VERBUND COLLECTION, Vienna
Team of the VERBUND COLLECTION, Vienna
Theresa Dann – curatorial assistant
Ema Rajković – curatorial assistant
Barbara Wünsch – curatorial assistant
Artist
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is an American artist best known for her conceptual portraits. Using makeup, costumes, and props, Sherman inhabits various roles and identities, critically addressing social stereotypes, female identity, and the role of women in society. Often presented as a series of photographic self-portraits in which she portrays not herself but fictional characters, her work explores the construction of identity and the power of images. Sherman's influential work has made her a central figure in discussions about gender representation in art and beyond.
VERTIKALE GALERIE der SAMMLUNG VERBUND
Am Hof 6a | 1010 Wien
Insights into the exhibition CINDY SHERMAN. That’s me – That’s not me. Early work 1975-1977
Publication:
Cindy Sherman. Early work 1975-1977
published by Gabriele Schor
Hardcover: 376 pages
Publisher: Hatje Cantz Verlag
Edition: 2012
Language: German
ISBN 978-3-7757-2980-2
THE THREE PHASES OF THE EARLY WORK
Sherman initially begins with the portrait. Through the differentiated use of make-up and mimicry, a number of image sequences showing her face in transformation are produced in 1975. The series illustrates the development from girl to young woman and focuses on the process of adolescence. After the portraits begins Sherman’s second phase, in which she uses her whole body and gets involved in the game of transformation through mimicry, gesture, pose, clothing, wigs and make-up. She photographs herself in different poses, roles and identifies and cuts the designed figures out of the photographic paper (cut-out), which gives rise to the film Doll Clothes (1975) and the cut-out works Fairies, Mini, The Mask and The Giant (all 1976). In the third phase of her early work, Sherman allows the different figures to interact, as in the cut-out series A Play of Selves, Bus Riders and Murder Mystery (all 1976). Around 50 of her works, which the VERBUND COLLECTION has purchased on a regular basis since its founding in 2004, were on display in the Vertical Gallery at VERBUND head office.
Photos: © Karl Kühn
Interesting links
Booklet
PDF / 0.5 MB
