Everyone thinks these are self-portraits but they aren't meant to be. I just use myself as a model because I know I can push myself to extremes, make each shot as ugly or goofy or silly as possible.
Cindy ShermanRead
I like making images that from a distance seem kind of seductive, colorful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you're looking at is something totally opposite. It seems boring to me to pursue the typical idea of beauty, because that is the easiest and the most obvious way to see the world. It's more challenging to look at the other side.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cindy Sherman highlights the contrast between superficial beauty and deeper complexities in art.
In this quote, Cindy Sherman expresses her desire to create images that initially draw viewers in with their seductive and vibrant surface. However, upon closer inspection, these images reveal something starkly different and perhaps mundane. Sherman believes that the conventional notions of beauty are too easy and predictable, and she finds greater value in exploring the complexities and contradictions within art, challenging audiences to look beyond the obvious.
Themes
ArtBeautyComplexityPerceptionCindy Sherman
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about contemporary art, this quote can be used to illustrate the importance of looking beyond the surface.
More from Cindy Sherman
All quotes →I wanted pretty pictures of older women - women who are trying too hard but succeeding - pulling off an extreme look. What I didn't know would creep into the portraits was a vulnerability behind the strong facade that most of them wear.
Cindy ShermanRead
People think because it's photography it's not worth as much, and because it's a woman artist, you're still not getting as much - there's still definitely that happening. I'm still really competitive when it comes to, I guess, the male painters and male artists. I still think that's really unfair.
Cindy ShermanRead
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