I chose this print, not because it was the last piece of the exhibition’s tour and therefore the easiest one to remember, but because it seemed more like a film still than simply a piece of modern photography. After perusing through several websites, I discovered that this was exactly the effect Cindy Sherman was trying to give off in her first series of self-portraits called Untitled Film Stills.
In this print dating back to 1981, Sherman poses herself in an interesting way. The first thing the viewer takes notice of, other than its size which is larger than most of the other pictures in the gallery, is her clothing. She is dressed in a contemporary schoolgirl outfit- a navy blue and red striped skirt and a white button down shirt. Her pose is not forced; she looks as if she is frozen with fear. Her long, well kept nails are covered in dirt and almost ready to claw at the floor she is thrown down against. An even more vivid visual are her bright blue eyes, almost ranging into a clear grey. Those eyes are transfixed on something out of view from the audience, yet it is obvious that it is something menacing and worthy of invoking such fear from this innocent young girl.
I also quite enjoyed listening to the tour guide make up stories about the possible circumstances this piece could be about, and they are quite possible. Pictures such as these are so believable and possess a certain quality that can really transport the viewer into the depicted situation, trying to piece together all the details from what is clearly visible to him or her. There indeed is a story behind this piece, yet one can only try to assume what it is. Sherman herself may not have known whatever is was that was supposed to be pursuing her when she took this, and she perhaps was only concerned with capturing the facial expression and physical responses that come along with absolute fear, confusion, uncertainty.
Cindy Sherman’s piece could perfectly well be the poster art for a B Movie horror film. It almost exudes an Alfred Hitchcock-esque vibe from its simple yet effective presentation and fear-ridden subject. The preppy clothes and large, frightened blue eyes are synonymous with the horror films I grew up watching from the late seventies and eighties. This could also be why I was so hesitant from moving onto another picture after stopping in front of this one. I was transfixed by the scene before me because it was a familiar situation to me that brought up familiar feelings in me – the adrenaline rush and anticipation I get when watching an intense action sequence, where the poor victim is trapped in a corner, cowering in fear, awaiting whatever terror is about to come her way, just as Sherman is doing in her ‘film still’.
