Cindy Sherman: That's Me

Cindy Sherman is among the most influe nt ial artists of her generation . Using herself as model , wearing a range of costumes and portraying herself in invented situations , she interrogates the imagery employed by the mass media, po pular culture and fine art. Television, advertising, magazines, fashion and Old Master paintings all fo rm part of her visual language.<br><br> Whether using make - up, costumes, props and prosthetics to manipulate her own appearance, or devising elaborate tableaux, her entire body of 40 years work constitutes a highly distinctive response to contemporary and earlier culture, whose stylistic tropes she appropriates and quotes. This book will explore the rich cultural sou rces that Sherman plunders in creating provocative and ambiguous images that lead us to question the things we see.<br><br> Shermans work is surveyed through two related themes. Examining Shermans art wi thin the context of portraiture it explores the way that identity is constructed from appearance . It also considers the nature of Shermans involvement with a range of styles by positioning her work in the context of the pre - existing ima gery that she appropriates.<br><br>