A dominant narrative within Western art history is that women are objectified. While that being the common theme for the portrayal of women within fine art history is unsettling, there isn’t a real issue as long as the woman portrayed is comfortable doing so, like Rose from The Titanic. But unfortunately it’s common, especially within the older narrative for the woman to be uncomfortable or even spied on, and is captured by the artist within her facial expression. Now that those disturbing facts are put to light, it’s good to mention that (only) in recent decades women artists are being acknowledged. With that, this essay answers a few questions that feminists seek answers to. What characterizes art made by women about women? It could be anything they want. Does it fit a role? No. Fortunately due to evolution of women’s rights these answers are ones that supports feminist ideology. Any woman who makes her own art empowers herself by doing so. This means whether they prefer to portray their gender as more conservative versus more exposed doing so supports feminist ideology.

Artwork produced by women about women may or may not speak against gender roles. One of the first that addresses it though, is Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro’s Womanhouse art installation and performative work in 1972. But of course that doesn’t mean that the female artist depicting a fragile and emotional woman in her work doesn’t support feminist ideologies. Cindy Sherman is a contemporary American artist whose works feature herself and addresses the way women are viewed. She never intended for her work to have a feminist undertone but is glad that feminists appreciate her work and that women find it empowering. Sherman’s work mainly consists of dressing up in costumes and wigs and documenting herself. Her first highly recognized work is her Untitled Film Stills 1977-1980 series. According to the MoMA’s description,

“Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills is a suite of seventy black-and-white photographs in which the artist posed in the guises of various generic female film characters, among them, ingénue, working girl, vamp, and lonely housewife. Staged to resemble scenes from 1950s and ’60s Hollywood, film noir, B movies, and European art-house films, the printed images mimic in format, scale, and quality the often-staged “stills” used to promote films.”

These photographs of course stirred controversy at the time, and perhaps is the reason why she first gained so much attention. Untitled Film Still #14 from 1978 depicts her as a stereotypical vamp woman. Back in the 50s and 60s the use of this term was popular and was one of many coined by men to stereotype women. It made sure to warn fellow men about such women exuding sexual prowess taking advantage of them through film. The term was used to identify a woman typically with heavy makeup (red lipstick) along with showing more skin than usual to enhance her sex appeal as a means to seduce men and manipulate them. Cindy Sherman knowingly portrays herself as such here, along with a weapon, black dress (the color choice perhaps meaning sinister), and a brazen-faced presumptuous facial expression. What causes the controversy is that men felt unsettled having their counterpart instead of themselves being in control. Sherman portrays that as a female she is conscious of this, thus mocking the 50’s and 60’s film stereotypes throughout the series.

Cindy Sherman continues to take the paradoxes of womanhood and runs with it throughout her career. Her work becomes more and more attention grabbing, unsettling, shocking, and humorous. Pregnant Woman from 1991, does this by discouraging motherhood and of course the housewife notion. Yet another controversy, this work by her was done right after Demi Moore’s pregnant and nude Vanity Fair magazine cover, almost recreating it with the same short hair style. Sherman has messy bedhead short hair, black or brown dilated contact lenses, wears a caked on application of makeup, a soaking wet as well as torn white flannel, and has nipples so inflamed they look in pain. Not only is this not the Western ideology of how men would like to perceive women, but it’s also not what any woman wants to be either. They don’t want to become a demonic creature that is forced to sell her body because the baby’s father left her which is what one could read this as. While humorous, it can also speak upon the serious importance of Planned Parenthood in our world. That is, not bringing life into this world that will struggle to survive.

To answer the question about what role and characteristics do women artists display, perhaps Cindy Sherman is simply having fun with her work. Perhaps topics such as conservatism versus nudity within the feminist realm are about the woman’s ability to choose whichever empowers herself, no matter what men or what society deems as acceptable for the times. The same goes for women who enjoy being a housewife versus women who enjoy living an independent life. Gender identity and how it’s portrayed is a personal choice. To each their own. That is what feminism means, to the right to choose and allow the freedom of expression within female artists.

Sources

Berne, Betsy. “Studio: Cindy Sherman – Interview.” Tate. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cindy-sherman-1938/studio-cindy-sherman.

“CINDY SHERMAN “PREGNANT WOMAN”, 1991.” Caviar20. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.caviar20.com/products/cindy-sherman-pregnant-woman-1991.

“MoMA Learning.” MoMA. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/cindy-sherman-untitled-film-stills-1977-80/.