American artist Cindy Sherman counts among today's most important artists. SAMMLUNG VERBUND has now created a book of her early works, 50 of which are displayed in the Vertical Gallery.
Born in 1954 in New Jersey, Cindy Sherman is an American photo artist, who has most notably achieved fame through her work with identity and role models. It was during her study years that she first created numerous photographs under the concept "Game of Transformation", integrating many elements of theatre and film. For more than 35 years, Cindy Sherman has been using gesture, pose, disguise, facial expression and make-up to visualise a multitude of role models and feminine identities.
Cindy Sherman has received numerous art awards and accolades and, through her works, is represented in the most important art collections, such as e.g. the Tate Gallery (London), the Corcoran Gallery (Washington D. C.), the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Metropolitan Museum (New York). The end of February 2012 sees the start of a large, 180-photograph-strong retrospective in the MOMA in New York.
Catalogue Raisonné on Cindy Sherman's early works
Yesterday evening, Cindy Sherman was the guest of VERBUND in Vienna and, together with Gabriele Schor, curator of SAMMLUNG VERBUND, presented her early works in a "catalogue raisonné". To this end, Gabriele Schor has spent three years academically processing the early works in collaboration with the artist. Included, among others, are many of the artist’s unknown photographs that are on show for the first time.
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The accompanying exhibition "That’s me - That’s not me. Cindy Sherman’s Early Works" in the Vertical Gallery of VERBUND’s headquarters presents some 50 of the artist’s works, which SAMMLUNG VERBUND has continuously acquired since its founding in 2004.
Cindy Sherman's early works
Contrary to what had hitherto been assumed, Sherman’s first works are not the famous "Untitled Film Stills" (1977-1980), but rather a comprehensive body of early work that was generated in Buffalo during the years 1975 until 1977 – works which were to form the foundation of her future œuvre. Sherman’s early work is significantly defined through artistic forms of expression emerging at the end of the 1960’s and the early 1970’s, such as film, video, photography, installations, performances, conceptual art and body art.
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The three phases of her early work
Sherman first begins with the portrait. In 1975, different ways of using make-up and facial expression result in several image sequences that show her face undergoing transformation. The series visualises the progression from a girl to a young woman, taking the process of adolescence as her central theme.
Following on from the portraits comes Sherman’s second phase, in which she uses her entire body and integrates it in the game of transformation by means of facial expression, gesture, pose, disguise, wigs and make-up. She photographs herself in diverse poses, roles and identities and cuts the designed figures out of photographic paper, resulting in the Film Doll Clothes (1975) and the cutout works Fairies, Mini, The Mask and The Giant (all from 1976).
In the third phase of early works, Sherman integrates the different figures, as in the cutout series "A Play of Selves", "Bus Riders" and "Murder Mystery" (all from 1976).
Join in and win a catalogue Raisonné
We are giving away several copies of the presented catalogue. In order to ensure that these fall into the right hands, in other words true Cindy Sherman fans, we look forward to receiving your creative proof that you are real "Shermaniacs": Post here in the blog or send a contribution to flow@verbund.com.
Eligible to participate are all Austrians aged 18 and above. As always, all decisions are final and not subject to legal appeal; prizes are non-redeemable. The entry deadline is 29 January. We additionally reserve the right to publish the submitted contributions here in the blog.
Exhibition starts on 26 January
From 26 January, anyone who is especially interested in the early works has the possibility to view these in the Vertical Gallery at the group headquarters Am Hof 6a in 1010 Vienna.
The "Vertical Gallery" is publically accessible through guided tours, which take place every Wednesday from 6.00 p.m. and Friday from 4.00 p.m. Entrance is free. However, prior registration is necessary: sammlung@verbund.com or under: +43 050313-50044. More information can also be found on the SAMMLUNG VERBUND website.