Silent Frustration

What is interesting about Sherman's work is her ability to transform into various different characters. Her work has an ambiguous feel to them that lets the viewer interpret what is going on. There is no title to the work and there can be an over arching theme to the portrait but there some relatable aspects of her photographs. Others can look at her work and say they understand the emotion or have it remind them of someone they knew or something they saw on TV. In her interview Sherman mentions that she looks at reviews of her work out of curiosity to see how others interpret it. 

My selfie was inspired by Cindy Sherman's piece: Untitled #122. What I liked about the work was the silent frustration that you can see in the character. The emotions are in the subtle details such as the clenched fist, the stiff body posture, the downward head, and the anger that is present in the eye. I also think that it is interesting that her hair is in her face. I feel that in the narrative she is invisible and is constantly masking her identity.  Even though we cannot see the character's face there is still a sense of what she is feeling. I tried to replicate that kind of emotion in my picture. In previous semesters I have found myself sitting at my desk, hair in my face, frustrated at everything. I am just another student working to get a degree. I decided to title this piece "Silent Frustration" because that was the overall feeling I interpreted from her piece.

Cindy Sherman has reinvented the portrait. Self portraiture has become more than just an oil painting of the rich and famous. Sherman creates narratives while using little to no digital help. She transforms herself through makeup, wigs, costumes, prosthetics, and other props. It is interesting to see her create these masks and characters which are a reflection of the society around us.