Untitled Film Stills

Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills (1977–80) is a series of black-and-white photographs where Sherman herself is the subject, depicted in various roles reminiscent of film noir. These images explore themes of social role-playing and challenge sexual stereotypes, presenting ambiguous portrayals of women. Sherman stated the series aimed to critique the "fakeness of role-playing" and a "contempt for the domineering 'male' audience" who might misinterpret the images as merely sexy.1

Sherman continued to use herself as the model in subsequent works, employing wigs, costumes, and prosthetics to evoke characters from advertising, television, and film. Her art critiques cultural stereotypes perpetuated by these media, questioning the construction of female identity and the ambiguity between reality and performance.123