Cindy Sherman

oversized, mounted, 1978, printed in 1980, no. 2 in an edition of 3

Metro Pictures, New York

Galerie Monika Sprüth, Cologne

Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1988

Other prints of this image:

Cindy Sherman (Whitney Museum of American Art, 1987, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 4

Zdenek Felix and Martin Schwander, eds., Cindy Sherman Photographic Work 1975-1995 (Munich, 1995, in conjunction with the exhibition originating at the Deichtorhallen, Hamburg), pl. 7

Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Stills (New York, 1990), pl. 4

Cindy Sherman Retrospective (The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1997, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 5

Rosalind Krauss, Cindy Sherman 1975-1993 (New York, 1993), pp. 14-15

Cindy Sherman (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1996, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 10

This impressive oversized print is in excellent condition. It is printed on matte-surface paper with a very slight sheen visible on the surface. It is mounted to thick white board. The actual size of the print is 27 3/4 by 38 inches. A Monika Spruth Galerie label is affixed to the reverse of the mount.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The print offered here is one of the key images from Sherman's best-known series, the Untitled Film Stills, taken between 1977 and 1980.  Begun shortly after her graduation from the State University College at Buffalo, New York, in 1977, the Untitled Film Stills took as its starting point the many female stereotypes of popular culture, including those found in B-movies, magazine pin-ups, and film noir.  In format and style, the photographs resemble stills from Hollywood films, or perhaps publicity photographs. Sherman utilized exaggerated poses and costumes for dramatic effect in her performance of such characters as the blond bombshell, the secretary, the seductress, and the librarian.  Never named or identified, Sherman's heroines are nevertheless vaguely recognizable and therefore invite viewers to construct their own narratives.  The element of performance in Sherman's Film Stills, and the invitation to voyeurism they elicit, have made the work an important touchstone in postmodernism and contemporary art.  Nearly three decades later, the Untitled Film Stills remains Sherman's most significant body of work.

This large-format print of Film Still #5 was one of 3 made of this image in 1980.