Cindy Sherman

Untitled, 1981, color photograph

(b. 1954 - Glen Ridge, NJ) Cindy Sherman began her photography career in the late 1970s, photographing herself in settings reminiscent of film noir and Hollywood publicity stills. She photographs herself dressing in different clothes and different guises, employing many wigs and styles of actor's makeup. In this body of work, Sherman is making wry visual comments on the history and style of portrait painting, specifically the conventional female stereotypes and their depiction by males. Sherman earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from State University of New York at Buffalo. Her photographs have been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art and The Art Institute of Chicago, and were featured in a major solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1987. In 1995, the artist was the recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Award, better known as the "MacArthur Genius Award." From 1997-2000, the exhibition "Cindy Sherman: Retrospective" toured globally.