Lecture Notes: Cindy Sherman’s Exploration of Film Stereotypes

Overview

• Subject: Black and white photographs by Cindy Sherman
• Focus: Exploration of film stereotypes through staged photographs
• Historical Context: References to 1950s-60s films, B-movies, and European arthouse films

Key Characteristics

• Fictional Moments:
  • None of the photographs depict actual films; they are entirely staged to resemble film stills.
• Variation of Female Types:
  • Presents a wide range of female characters such as:
    • The girl on the run
    • The bombshell
    • The bored housewife
    • The vamp
  • Sherman uses familiar stereotypes to evoke personal narratives in the viewer.

Artistic Approach

• Multiplicity:
  • The photographs are meant to be appreciated as part of a collective work, forming a catalog of female stereotypes.
• Guerrilla Style Setup:
  • Sherman used minimal equipment, including a small suitcase with wigs and costumes.
  • She quickly transformed into different personas, photographed herself, then developed the images.

Prints Characteristics

• Unremarkable Prints:
  • Intentionally made to appear cheap, similar to throwaway publicity stills.
  • Photographs mimic the 8 by 10 inches glossy format of traditional film publicity stills.

Significance

• Impact:
  • Successful for its endless variation of female types and the narrative possibilities each photograph presents.
• Cultural Insight:
  • Offers insight into the portrayal of female roles within film history and challenges viewers to consider the narratives associated with these stereotypes.