Untitled #97 1982

Cindy Sherman created this photograph, Untitled #97, as part of her exploration into identity and representation. A figure is shrouded in a pink towel, positioned against a dark background, which throws into relief the subtle shades of pink and skin tones. There is a sense of intimacy, the composition compels a close viewing experience, with the towel’s texture dominating the frame. Sherman's practice intersects with post-structuralist ideas about the instability of meaning and the constructed nature of the self. She uses her own body as a sign to challenge the viewer's expectations. Here, the semiotic system of dress codes is destabilized by the towel. Instead of signaling modesty, the towel becomes a visual sign that asks questions about vulnerability. The photograph's careful attention to color, shape, and form works beyond aesthetics. By using certain compositional cues, Sherman creates an open structure in which the viewer is invited to recognize the absence of any stable or pre-determined meaning. Sherman's strategy is to offer up a series of shifting signs that resist any definitive reading.