The Theme Of Identity In Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills

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Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #2, 1977, Gelatin silver print, 9 ½ x 7 9/16” (24.1 x 19.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Is identity defined by an individual or by society? This idea of identity is tackled within Sherman’s work particularly in her “Untitled Film Stills,” series that takes a look at identity from a female perspective (Paoli). In Untitled Film Still #2, Sherman transforms into a character of a woman analyzing her reflection in a mirror (Paoli). The photo shows a woman who is attempting to construct her identity, a woman who is trying to figure out who she is (Paoli). Sherman has referred to her character in this shot as a “trashy has been” (Burton, Respini and Sherman). This photo as well as other photos in her