Cindy Sherman

Metro Pictures, New York
Monica Sprüth Philomene Magers, Munich
Private Collection, Seattle

New York, Metro Pictures, Cindy Sherman, May - June 2005 (another example exhibited)
London, Simon Lee Gallery, Cindy Sherman: Clowns, November 2004 - January 2005 (another example exhibited)
Paris, Jeu de Paume; Kunsthaus Bregernz; Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art; Berlin, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Cindy Sherman, May 2006 - September 2007, pp. 224 and 269, illustrated in color (another example exhibited)

Maik Schlüter, Cindy Sherman: Clowns, Munich, 2004, p. 38, illustrated in color
Regis Durand, Cindy Sherman, Paris, 2006, p. 224, illustrated in color

This work appears in excellent condition overall. There are no apparent condition issues with this work. Framed under Plexiglas.
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Cindy Sherman’s clowns are perhaps the ultimate summation of her ability to push beyond the veneer of the image and immerse herself into the pathos behind “the mask."  They are in a way, the culmination of an evolution that begins with the Fairy Tales and Disasters and continues throughout the Centerfolds series. In these bodies of work, there is a marked shift towards an exploration of fears, taboos, desires and dreams. It is not until the History Portraits that comedy begins to be mixed into Sherman’s oeuvre. Almost two decades later, Sherman creates the Clowns. For this series, Sherman adopts arguably the most quintessential of all masquerades. Although circus clowns are often associated to a realm of childhood memories and laughter, the exaggerated smiles of clowns are often unsettling and have associations to darkness and danger. Sherman describes her original draw to the image of the clown: “I still wanted the work to be the same kind of mixture—intense, with a nasty side or an ugly side, but also with a real pathos about the characters—and [clowns] have an underlying sense of sadness while they’re trying to cheer people up. Clowns are sad, but they’re also psychotically, hysterically happy… I like that balance—that you could be painted to look like you’re happy and still look like you’re sad underneath, or the opposite too.” (Cindy Sherman cited in Betsy Berne, “Studio: Cindy Sherman” in Tate Magazine, No. 5, May - June 2003)

Aside from this continued exploration of unsettling images, the Clowns also provided Sherman with a new platform to further explore stylistic innovations. The backgrounds to the portraits from this series are digitally enhanced to perfectly complement the carnivalesque quality of the sitter. Untitled #426 is perhaps one of the most dramatic in the series. The psychedelic background is enhanced by a dramatic spotlight on the figure. However, the spotlight only enhances the background, while leaving the wigged figure in a dark shadow. The ultimate puppet and puppeteer, Sherman uses color and shadow to endow her own portrait with an air of horror and sadness in perfect continuation to her impressive body of work.