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Queen of the Selfies

Cindy Sherman 

If you didn’t already think of her as a genius, check out her IG feed. Maybe you are thinking awesomeness on digital social channels is only for the digital-native younger person. Think again. Always the shrewdest observer and commentator of popular culture, Cindy takes on the craze of the moment: the IG feed as a staged narcissistic declaration of self-branding.  

Cindy Sherman is a true shape-shifting master. Her photographs in which she appears as the only subject do not depict herself. “I don’t see it that way, no,” she says. Rather, Sherman exposes how culture shapes appearances, imploding such enforced conformity from within. The American photographer and film director has assumed an endless number of identities and has risen to become one of the most influential photographers of her generation and one of the most prominent figures in contemporary art.

Now taking her art onto the modern digital platform, Sherman’s photography exposes our selfie-obsessed generation. She uses various apps, such as Facetune and Photoshop, that are usually meant to make an image look prettier, but in the hands of Sherman, she has managed to tease highly unorthodox results. The women she has created have inflamed skin, warped noses, piercing eyes. Occasionally, identical ghosts burst from their heads or pattern their bodies. Nevertheless, they seem knowable and lovable. Possibly due to the intimate nature of Instagram or because they have been built with tools that aim to serve desires we can identify, Sherman’s self-portraits embody understandable intentions that have gone awry.

Here we have someone at the very top of her game — the very best galleries, the very best museums — a legend now at the age of 63, taking her sharpest of sticks to a genre that so many aspire to use as a tool of gauzy self-promotion. No, not Cindy. Her IG is something completely different, something that humbles us mortals. She also wins the best captions award. Check out her groundbreaking transgressive digital work here.

 

See medical disclaimer below. ↓

The ideas expressed here are solely the opinions of the author and are not researched or verified by AGEIST LLC, or anyone associated with AGEIST LLC. This material should not be construed as medical advice or recommendation, it is for informational use only. We encourage all readers to discuss with your qualified practitioners the relevance of the application of any of these ideas to your life. The recommendations contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before starting any new treatment or stopping any treatment that has been prescribed for you by your physician or other qualified health provider. Please call your doctor or 911 immediately if you think you may have a medical or psychiatric emergency.

David Stewart
David is the founder and face of AGEIST. He is an expert on, and a passionate champion of the emerging global over-50 lifestyle. A dynamic speaker, he is available for panels, keynotes and informational talks at david@agei.st.

 

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