In contemporary art photography there is no bigger name than Cindy Sherman, and her fame as a respected and innovative photographer is well deserved.
In the seventies, when very few women has truly broken into the mainstream contemporary art industry, New York photographer Cindy Sherman boldly stepped in front of and behind the camera, using photography to explore the role of women in society, and explore notions of fame.
"Selfie" is a word that seems almost made for Cindy Sherman.
As of 2015 she has catapulted to become one of the top ten living American Artists. Cindy Sherman not only commands a high market value for her photographic art, but also is also arguably the most influential contemporary photographer.
Last October Cindy Sherman quietly opened a private personal Instagram account as a way of exploring the potential possibilities of social media platforms for her photography. She recently made the account public and immediately received both press and acclaim from major international sites including the New York Times, gaining followers hoping to catch a glimpse of Sherman's personal life as well as previews of her new work.
Ms. Sherman is a laid-back artist, and her account lacks the promotional networking that is common among average Instagram users. Since going public, she uses this platform to share moments from her life, her family fun, performances attended as well as vacation photos. The past two months Sherman has also been uploading a series of distorted selfies, using phone software to alter the colors, edit the skin texture, and reshape her facial structure, exaggerating her features. She uses her face as a canvas, not afraid to look imperfect or bizarre in her photographs.
Ever since her series "Untitled Film Stills" in the late seventies, her work focuses on images of women that are favored by the media, using both dignified and sexual feminine tropes but subverting these images with messy makeup or unusual styling.
Her work highlights the absurdity of women's image in the media, coinciding with feminism and women's rights movements of the time. Subsequently, Cindy Sherman's creations turn a political focus to concepts such as the male gaze. Although Cindy Sherman does not self-identify as a feminist artist, her work has had an undeniable effect on feminist art and plays a distinct role in the progression of feminism in the twentieth century within the art community.
Cindy Sherman's newly public Instagram account undeniably seeks alternative audiences for her new works, the New York Times even referred to the move as "generous behavior"; sharing emerging work through the platform of Instagram breaks boundaries of exclusivity and accessibility. Sherman gives viewers the opportunity to directly share and discuss a new online exhibition of more than 600 photos.
Everyone is watching Sherman's page for new works, why not follow and see for yourself?
（Figure 1）Untitled #93 © Cindy Sherman
（Figure 2 top）Untitled #92 © Cindy Sherman.
（Figure 2 left）Untitled #153 © Cindy Sherman
（Figure 2 middle & right）© Cindy Sherman
