Cindy Sherman: More than Well-Composed and Theatrical Portraits

American photographer Cindy Sherman is easily best known for her series of untitled film stills, created in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  These portraits are well-lit, perfectly staged, and generally depict beautiful women playing a variety of different roles.  Sherman's more recent works, however, are quite alarming in contrast.  

(Source Images- L/R: http://www.cindysherman.com/images/photographs/UntitledFilmStill8.jpg; http://www.cindysherman.com/images/photographs/Untitled250.jpg)

(The images above show the differences between Sherman's early work, pictured left... and her one of her more recent pieces, pictured right.)

While her newest subjects could still technically be considered portraits, they are certainly not pictures of the film-ready heroines viewers typically associate with Sherman.  These figures are down-right ugly, moderately provocative, and even slightly disturbing.  Most of their faces do not really match their bodies or body shapes and often times their limbs are bent in seemingly uncomfortable, contorted positions.  At times, arms or legs are even shown as being chopped off altogether.  

For example, in the photograph (above on the right), the figure appears to be very old when  one is considering the wrinkles in her/his face.  The person's body though seems to be much younger in comparison and additionally reads as being unquestionably female.  There is a disconnect between the juxtaposition of face and body, thus skewing the subject's identity. 

This sexually charged image almost cannot be discussed without mentioning the ambiguity of the doll's gender.  Its facial features seem to be fairly masculine, yet the long and flowing hair suggests otherwise.  The most confusing attribute in this mix-up is certainly the figures large, female breasts and exposed genitalia.  Again, the Hellenistic images of Hermaphrodites immediately come to mind.

Here is a video that displays arguably, the most famous Hellenistic Hermaphrodite: Click Here!       

Additionally, this is also an interesting video that considers how figures having both male and female genitalia have appeared in various art forms through the ages: Click Here!