L-15 Cindy Sherman (American, b. 1954)
Untitled, 1977 Black and white photograph, printed 2011, ed. 14/20 16 ⅛ x 12 ¾ inches Metro Pictures, New York Estimate: $15,000–18,000
By turning the camera on herself, Cindy Sherman has become one of the most respected photographers of the late twentieth century. This photograph is from the artist’s Untitled Film Stills series, which is perhaps one of her best known. Begun in 1977, the series features stills of the artist in the role of stereotypical females inspired by 1950s and 1960s Hollywood, film noir, and European art-house films. She plays a type, not an actual person, and invites the viewer to develop the narrative. Sherman’s artistic commentary on feminism to body and identity politics has earned her remarkable success and numerous awards, including the Guild Hall Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. This year, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, presented a major retrospective on the artist. The Art Auction
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