The Headshot

Cindy Sherman, "The headshots"

Jada Cox, recreating "The headshot"

     I chose to recreate Cindy Sherman's Headshot. The headshot is a collection of works that offer up different characters auditioning for a part. I chose to be the wiz kid, geeky but, eclectic. What I enjoyed about Cindy Sherman's work was the creativity that went into turning herself into another character. The practice that she did in order to achieve all these different faces and looks. In a way, she disassociates from herself and creates an entirely different character. I feel like by constantly practicing these different looks she challenged herself to become every woman.

     Cindy Sherman reminds me of two different aspects of our society. Even with the seemingly simple picture of herself posing as someone else she is, in a way, mimicking these cultural "norms". What does it mean to be put in this box of being called a geek, or the cheerleader? Through her artwork, she is not only creating a story but allowing the audience to create the story and through the story that they create, she is asking them to question it. I don't believe Cindy ostracizes these societal norms simply to help you build a story. Even in her double centerfold pictures, she allows the audience to create the story before the first flip even occurs.  With her hand on her leg, she allows the audience to create a story and then flips and the face is in dissonance to the rest of the picture. It makes the person question the story they created and ask why they put those norms into the story.

     Art News did an article on Cindy Sherman and quoted, "Her work has in some ways presaged the media age that we live in now and also absolutlely responds to it." This quote perfectly explains what I mean by Cindy Sherman shows two sides of society. She portrays to society what the dangers of these stories can create and responds to them by pushing the truth into the people face and making them question themselves.