The photos above (left to right) are Cindy Sherman pieces called Untitled 2004 and Untitled 2007/2008. The photograph on the left is from Cindy Sherman's clown series and the image on the right is from her socialite portraits.
"The images draw from her series Clowns (2003–04), made in the aftermath of the 2001 US terrorist attacks; Society portraits (2008), and work made in conjunction with fashion houses Balenciaga and Chanel," according to theguardian.com. The clown series interests me so much because it was fascinating how easily she could change her whole persona and I wanted to know why she chose a clown. While researching for this answer I came across an interview she had with clownlink.com. Her response to why she chose clowns as a subject is "I like that balance – that you could be painted to look like you’re happy and still look like you’re sad underneath, or the opposite too." It was even more interesting to know that she created the series following the 9/11 series. In my opinion, the clown series could be more towards the people who were trying to put on a brave face in the midst of a tragedy. They are a sad clown. They're trying to put on a happy mask but seem to look sad.
Sherman's socialite or centerfold portraits are also about society. She is showing the ambiguities of women playing gender cliché roles. Her images aren't simply stereotypes of magazine spreads, it is carefully thought out images of pretty women who you can somehow tell are playing a cliché societal role. I believe this series of her art is a big reason why she has "inspired a generation of younger artists to explore their own identities across a range of mediums," as artnews.com said.
Looking at these two series also inspired me to think about how I display myself and how I actually feel when I am trying to display myself in a certain way, through selfies and even when I'm walking around. I decided to use these two series to influence the selfies I took. I wanted my experience to be similar to what I think Cindy Sherman's experience was as she was home or out with Robert Longo as she created Untitled Film Stills. I tried on different clothes as it showed she did in the documentary. I played with different ways to change my look, even if it was only a little bit. I shot my pictures at home like Sherman usually did in her loft. I rearranged my vanity set to try to show glamorous items and photos like she rearranged her loft to look like a motel room. In my first photo, I tried to capture a similar film essence to Sherman's film stills. I added a black and white filter and grain. I cut up hair extensions to use as fake bangs. I put on really dark eyeshadow and eyeliner and red lipstick and then smudged it to make myself look similar to a clown. In the first photo, I am putting on the persona of a model when in reality my face is covered with a mask and smudged lipstick. I combined centerfold model with a scary clown.
Clownlink Interview
Clowns and Socialite photos
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