Cindy Sherman. That’s me – That’s not me. Early works 1975 – 1977. Art from the VERBUND COLLECTION

The game of transformation

Cindy Sherman is one of the most important contemporary female artists. She studied at Buffalo State College from 1972 to 1976. She has lived and worked in New York since the summer of 1977. In 1982, she took part in documenta 7, and there followed numerous solo and group exhibitions in international museums. The large retrospective of the Museum of Modern Art is currently touring to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas. 

Contrary to the generally held view, it is not the famous Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980) that form the start of Cindy Sherman’s artistic development but, among other things, the 50 extraordinary and lesser known works from the holdings of the VERBUND COLLECTION. In the years in Buffalo, Cindy Sherman raises the game of transformation to her artistic concept for the first time and creates numerous still unknown photographs which conspicuously combine many elements of theatre and film. For more than 35 years, Cindy Sherman has visualised a large number of role-models and female identities. 

 Photos: © Andreas Marini