The principle theme in Cindy Sherman's oeuvre is the staging of female role models. The American artist relies on stereotypes inscribed on our collective visual memory in a world saturated with media. In this perfect role-play with costumes, masks, and prostheses, during which her own identity nearly completely disappears, in her photographs Sherman (*1954) walks a fine line between staging and parody in her scrutiny of cliches and fears. The artist became well known for her multipart photo series Untitled Film Stills (1977-80), in which she embodies female characters from fictitious movie scenes from the fifties. Her artistic principle has essentially not changed much since. In her later series with large-format color photographs, Cindy Sherman take up themes such as, for example, fashion photography, fairytale figures, horror scenes, and high-society ladies.Exhibition: Sammlung Goetz, Munich, January 29-July 18, 2015

Text by: Ingvild Goetz, Leo Lencses, Carsten Loeckemann, Gabriele Schor, Barbara Vinken