C.R.S
RESEARCH
Cindy Sherman (Cynthia Morris Sherman)
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"The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told"
Cindy is most known for her eye catching images, mostly dealing with identity. Through the use of costume, props and prosthetics she creates new personas, ones in which she then photographs herself within environments in which this individual can be found.
It wasn't until 1977 that Cindy was known in Britain, but known for her black and white film stills. These images imitated the 1950's and 60s movies. Cindy lives and produces her work in New York, she was born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. She was the youngest of 5 children, her parents didn't share an interest like her of the arts.
She enrolled to study at Buffalo University New York, starting in 1972-76 she started as a painter, yet found no interest in the medium. She found it to be too restrictive and limiting, she turned her attention to photography as many painters felt in the 1970's felt that all had been said through paint.
Cindy Sherman
Untitled n.74, 1980,
C-print
20.2 x 24.3 in. (51.3 x 61.7 cm.)
Cindy Sherman
Untitled Film Still #8, 1978
Gelatin silver print,
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Cindy Sherman has always been one of my main influences, her execution and ingenious work is captivating. Although her subject may not link to mine, the process of how we conduct our imagery isn't too far apart. Within her imagery, Sherman takes on many different identities. Through hair and make up, location and lighting. Sherman would become someone else, my work isn't about turning into a new identity. I'm turning into a new material, mimicking the textures of the land on my skin. Overlapping imagery to create depth and layers, the same labour goes into both types of imagery. From Sherman work, It radiates confidence. Confidence I too need, using my body within my images takes courage. Sherman doesn't just take an image, she has to think about the composition. Whether he image needs to be portrait, or landscape. What angle, where the lighting should be. All factors that I too need to take into consideration.
CLAUDE CAHUN (LUCY SCHWOB)
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Claude Cahun was one of the few women, that were taken seriously within the surrealist movement. She was a self- portrait photography artist alongside her partner Marcel Moore. She was originally born under the name, Lucy Swob in 1894. She changed her name due to no longer wanting to belong to a category of gender, the question as to why Lucy changed her name to 'Claude', Claude is one of the few names in French that is gender neutral.
Claude Cahun
I extend my arms (1931-1932)
Gelatin silver print on paper
204 × 150 mm
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Claude Cahun
Que Me Veux-Tu?
(What Do You Want From Me?) 1928
Gelatin silver print
18 x 23 cm
Claude Cahun
I extend my arms (1931-1932)
Gelatin silver print on paper
204 × 150 mm
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Cahun wrote in her autobiography, Disavowals. “Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.” Cahun pushes the boundaries of the natural, by not belonging to a category or gender. She becomes an identity we seize to understand, if we ever can. The qualities of Cahuns imagery, is not to be missed. The length of costume, make up and performance that had to be executed to this skill level in order to have this effect. Context and Composition are very important within imagery, a certain skill set I aim to acquire within my own work. Although, the context of Cahuns work and the story behind the images, is very different to my own. There are many similarities, my work needs to embody a certain amount of performance and placement.