Cindy Sherman

The National Portrait Gallery host a great retrospective dedicated to the famous photographer that focusing on the artist’s manipulation of her own appearance and her deployment of material derived from a range of cultural sources, including film, advertising and fashion, the show explores the tension between façade and identity.
Her images are portraits, but very particular. Famous for the use of  makeups, costumes,  and prosthesis, Sherman has created and interpreted characters and roles, giving us complex and ambiguous photographic images. An act of challenge towards society and the stereotypes of fashion, a subtle and amusing criticism, always conducted on the edge of irony.

The exhibition explores Sherman’s production (n. 1958) from the mid-70s to the present day, starting with the well-known black and white series Untitled Film Stills (1977-80), which began shortly after moving to New York; the five series Cover girls, and again Projections for Rear-projections, Centrefolds, Portraits of history, Fairy Tales.
A treat: materials from the artist’s studio help enthusiasts understand her work processes.