Untitled Film Still #33 1979

Cindy Sherman made this photograph, “Untitled Film Still #33,” using readily available materials: a camera, black-and-white film, and a set constructed from everyday objects. Sherman deliberately evokes the look of low-budget, independent film, both in the mise-en-scène and in the grainy texture of the print. The effect is not accidental. It conveys the precarious nature of acting as labor. Sherman’s self-portraiture also speaks to the constructed nature of identity, as something assembled from available materials – clothing, props, and poses, like a collage. The photo’s strength lies in its material and the performance captured. Sherman’s approach challenges traditional notions of photography as a purely documentary medium. It elevates the craft of image-making, revealing the complex interplay between art, labor, and the construction of the self. By embracing a do-it-yourself aesthetic, Sherman blurred the lines between high art and the accessible materials of popular culture.