Untitled #205 1989

This is Cindy Sherman's *Untitled #205*, and she made it by taking a photograph, but for me, the history of painting is right there. Sherman often uses herself as a model, and I think she’s interested in the art of becoming. In this image, she has very self-consciously transformed herself into a character. Her pale skin and muted palette give the impression of a classical sculpture or painting. You could say she is appropriating the language of art for her own means. Look at the dark floral wallpaper behind her, which creates an ambiguous space. The props and make-up are essential because they allow her to shape-shift, becoming a different kind of figure. Sherman's work shares some of the interests of artists like Yasumasa Morimura, who also uses photography to explore issues of identity and representation, but I think she is coming from a different place. Her work reminds us that art is always about transformation, about the possibility of becoming something else.