Untitled Film Still #20 1979

Cindy Sherman made this black and white photograph, Untitled Film Still #20, using the classic tools of analogue photography to explore the visual language of cinema. The key material here isn’t the photographic paper, but Sherman's own image, and the carefully chosen garments that compose the character’s identity. Lace, a complex textile, and a common luxury once associated with the domestic labor of women, is here repurposed as a cape that is laid over a simple white blouse. With the additional scarf, Sherman signals to a specific cultural aesthetic. Her choice of wardrobe is conceptually deliberate and critical, speaking volumes about the way women have historically been presented on screen. Each of the garments she selects serves as a signifier of identity, and speaks volumes about labor, status, and the way clothing shapes our understanding of ourselves and others. Sherman doesn't merely create images; she crafts identities, inviting us to consider the role of fashion and style in shaping the narratives we tell about ourselves.