cindy essay

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Los Angeles Pierce College *

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101

Subject

Arts Humanities

Date

Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by MasterEnergyCaterpillar40

During the 1980s, many forms of art existed and arose. Many of these included photography, painting, music, sculpting, and graffiti. The art was created by many contemporary young American artists. The artists at this time were all surrounded by many social issues, “Issues involving health care, education, civil rights, and equal rights for women…” (“Social Concerns in the 1980s.”) Mr.Locke ). Creating new art pieces during times like these allowed for the young artists to share their views and standing on these social issues. A famous piece created during this time is the artificial self-portrait of Cindy Sherman in which she embodies Marilyn Monroe as a way to share her inner thoughts on social issues existing during her time as well as affecting her negatively. The print created during this time is a self-portrait of the Artist Cindy Sherman however, she embodies the infamous Mariolyn Monroe. The artwork’s dimensions measure thirty nine point four inches by twenty four point one inches, according to a past art auction on ArtNet.com. Through this art piece, the audience is able to get an understanding of the artist’s impression on women’s stereotypes. Sherman intends to interpret how the world, in specific, the Western society has created norms and stereotypes toward women. She begins to do so by using the infamous persona Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn’s roles as a singer, actress, model, etc. was what wistfully led to her reputation as an icon but also a Hollywood sex symbol. With this portrayal of her through the media, Cindy proceeds to capture her own face with the body of this icon to symbolize the image Western society has created of women. The medium is a chromogenic print. A chromogenic print is developed when “composites of three monochromatic layers…combine into a full-colored image,” according to ArtBuzz. The energy Cindy reflects through the print can be assumed is powerful by the pose she strikes. The way the artist is styled also plays a role in her powerful pose as she includes Marilyn’s defined blonde curls, bold red lipstick, her beauty

mark, even continues to dress in similar clothing. The lighting in the print is dull which helps set the tone of the message being shared. From a different perspective, one might say the woman’s face comes off as a woman in distress, at the same time, the pose, makeup, and wardrobe details give off a sense of confidence. The art piece was commissioned by a famous artist named Cindy Sherman. Cindy was a part of the “Pictures Generation,” which referred to a group of young American artists who were serious about sharing messages and different perspectives on social issues through a series of images that were huge throughout the mass media. Though the intended audience at the time for the artist wasn’t clear, the print targets both men and women. It allows men to understand the perception of women in older days and allows women to understand the way women are perceived is based on stereotypes rather than their authentic traits. The historical background of this print is significant because it affects the meaning of the work. During the 1990s, women arose against many inequalities and succeeded. Some might have seen this as a threat due to the fact that previous centuries have set standards for women, including, no voting rights, could not own property, enforced for them to be at home and dedicate their time to child bearing, house care, etc. As the years evolved, women became more independent and were given many other rights leading to them being objectified. Cindy embodies Marilyn because of her well-known persona which allows her to emphasize that the media and culture at the time played a role in how women were portrayed without paying attention to who the person is as an individual. Modern young adults would benefit from this artwork as the message is easier to understand now knowing who Marilyn was and being educated on the social issues in the 19th century. When first coming across this print, it gave off a very powerful tone. From the first glance I knew by the styling of the woman she was recreating Marilyn’s look. However, without

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