Untitled Film Still #81, 1980

“I suppose unconsciously, or semiconsciously at best, I was wrestling with some sort of turmoil of my own about understanding women. The characters weren’t dummies, they weren’t just airhead actresses. They were women struggling with something but I didn’t know what…I liked that whole jumble of ambiguity.” Cindy Sherman, The Complete Untitled Film Stills

Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still #81, created in 1980, is a quintessential work from her seminal Untitled Film Stills series. Images from this historic series, which was produced over the course of four years, feature Sherman in various guises and are meticulously staged to resemble scenes from mid-20^th century B-movies, film noir, and European art-house films. Sherman, born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in 1954, emerged as a pivotal figure in the 1970s and 1980s art scene, known for her transformative self-portraits that critique the representation of women in media and pop culture.

The Untitled Film Stills series marks a significant period in both Sherman’s career and for feminist art as a whole. During this period, a transformative time in the art world, there was an increased recognition of feminist art and a questioning of established norms in both art and society. Sherman’s early exploration of power and gender dynamics in visual representation solidified her as a leader in this space.

Untitled Film Still #81 is a striking example of Sherman’s ability to embody and critique female stereotypes perpetuated by media and popular culture. Placing herself in the frame and choosing how she is portrayed, shot, and costumed, Sherman redefines the traditional role of women as passive subjects in art, reclaiming agency – especially in the context of the time-set staging she frames the photograph in.

Presenting herself as a solitary, contemplative figure, set within a private, domestic setting that evokes a sense of introspection, Sherman leaves the viewer to speculate about the story’s context and the character’s inner life. As she gazes at herself in the mirror, is the figure getting ready for bed, or is she preparing for a night with her partner? Observing the slightly ajar door, is there someone else present in the room with the woman acting as a voyeur? The ambiguity of the piece is a hallmark of Sherman’s work, who oft-invites the viewer into her pieces for deeper engagement. The constructed reality of the image speaks to Sherman’s incredible talent as both a visual artist and an actress, generating new discourse on gender, identity, and representation.

Oversize prints of the Untitled Film Stills, as the present lot, were created in small, limited edition sizes of only three. One of the two other oversized prints of the present work, Untitled Film Still #81, is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.