This small, gorgeously designed and carefully edited book―available in grey and beige cloth―presents all 20 photographs of a new body of work that Cindy Sherman completed in 2016. In these photographs, reminiscent (conceptually but not formally) of her earlier Film Stills, Sherman enacts variations on the theme of aging Hollywood actresses of the 1920s.
The series was inspired by her interest in early German Expressionist silent movies, which led her to further studies of the first wave of the Hollywood star system in the 1920s.
Here, Sherman’s "actresses" are presented in the style of studio publicity shoots, against backgrounds that were carefully composed for each of the characters. With heavy make-up, elaborate hairdos, precisely chosen and arranged wardrobe and dresses, Sherman creates female characters that provoke a rich array of cultural associations.
Betsy Berne describes photographer Cindy Sherman as a “demonic perfectionist.” This perfectionism is on full display in Cindy Sherman 2016, a book of twenty photographs inspired by the glamour and vanity of 1920s Hollywood. Sherman’s beautifully composed photos feature middle-aged women in elaborate costumes, styled hair, and heavy makeup, posing against dreamy backdrops reminiscent of film sets. Together with Betsy Berne’s essay, Sherman’s photos offer commentary on aging in an industry that celebrates youth and beauty, a theme that remains just as relevant today as it was in the 1920s. In Berne’s estimation, the women in the photos are triumphant: “There’ve been highs and lows…and they’ve been through a lot. However, they’ve made it to the other side and they are doing just fine, thank you.”
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