“Early in my career, a critic said that I needed to "explain" the irony in my work, suggesting that I needed to add text next to the images to help people understand what I was trying to say. At first I was dismayed that I wasn't making work with a clear enough message. That's when I realized that that was the exact opposite of what I wanted to do - that I wasn't responsible for a misinterpretation of my work, that there should be some ambiguity to it. They either got it, or they didn't.” PeopleShouldTryingFirstsSaidEnoughHelpingWantedNextCareersClearNeededMessagesOppositesResponsibleAddCriticsI RealizedIronyAmbiguitySuggestingDismayedMisinterpretation Author:Cindy Sherman
“People are always trying to find the next groovy thing, and it hasn't gone back to painting... I'd like it to go back to painting. I'm sick of all this photography and video. There's so much of it, it's almost annoying.” PeopleTryingNextGonePaintingPhotographySickVideoAnnoyingAlways TryingGroovy Author:Cindy Sherman
“[My work is] maybe about me maybe not wanting to be me and wanting to be all these other characters. Or at least try them on.” TryingCharacterCindy Author:Cindy Sherman
“I'm good at using my face as a canvas… I'll see a photograph of a character and try to copy them on to my face. I think I'm really observant, and thinking how a person is put together, seeing them on the street and noticing subtle things about them that make them who they are.” ThinkingTryingPersonsCharacterTogetherFacesSeeingStreetsPhotographSubtleCopiesCanvasNoticingObservant Author:Cindy Sherman
“I am always surprised at all the things people read into my photos, but it also amuse me. That may be because I have nothing specific in mind when I'm working. My intentions are neither feminist nor political. I try to put double or multiple meanings into my photos, which might give rise to a greater variety of interpretations.” PeopleGivingTryingMindMayMightPoliticalGreaterIntentionPhotographerFeministVarietyInterpretationMultipleCindyMultiple Meanings Author:Cindy Sherman
“If I knew what the picture was going to be like I wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made already – the challenge is more about trying to make what you can’t think of.” IfsThinkingTryingMadeChallengesPhotographerCindy Author:Cindy Sherman
“I’m trying to make other people recognize something of themselves rather than me.” PeopleTrying Book:Photographien Source: Photographien
“I think I always resented the fact that people thought I was trying to entertain them with my multifaceted, chameleonlike character changes. Although I liked doing that, I wasn't out to fool people and say 'Guess which one is me.'” PeopleThinkingTryingCharacterFactsFoolCharacter Change Author:Cindy Sherman
“So many things suddenly made sense for the clowns, for the whole idea. I’d been going through a struggle, particularly after 9/11; I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to say. I still wanted the work to be the same kind of mixture – intense, with a nasty side or an ugly side, but also with a real pathos about the characters – and clowns have an underlying sense of sadness while they’re trying to cheer people up. Clowns are sad, but they’re also psychotically, hysterically happy.” PeopleTryingKindMadeStillsIdeasRealWholeCharacterWantedSidesStruggleSadnessFiguresUglyIntenseCheerNastyClownMixturesPathos Author:Cindy Sherman