Untitled Film Still #24 1979

In this still by Cindy Sherman, a woman with dark hair gazes off to the side, a building looming in the background. I imagine Sherman in her studio, thinking about the ways women are represented in film, and how those images affect how women see themselves. The contrast is so strong; dark hair, dark shirt, set against light, and the monochrome feel makes me think of old movies. But Sherman isn't just recreating a still. She's questioning the language of cinema, using her own body as a canvas, and transforming herself into a character. It’s like she's saying: I can be anyone. I can be anything. I can be a starlet, a femme fatale, a girl next door. But who am I, really? It is a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world that pushes against the boundaries of identity and representation. Cindy makes you wonder how we define ourselves in a world full of images.