Cindy Sherman picks up the artwork of tapestry in a brand new present
Cindy Sherman has become one of the most famous contemporary artists in the world. Since the late 1970s, she has photographed herself in a range of figures and personalities, often inspired by television, film, magazines, and the Internet, and draws references from art history. Her characters are multidimensional and often manage to be both compelling and grotesque.
As a photographer and model, Sherman also takes on any other role needed to create her images, including a stylist, makeup artist, and hairdresser. The attention to detail is exact and so it makes sense that her latest work, which is now on view in Sprüth Magers' LA space, is also involved. The difference this time, however, is that Sherman does not take photos, but works with a new medium: tapestry.
Above: Untitled, 2019. Above: Untitled, 2020. Photos: Robert Wedemeyer. All images: © Cindy Sherman, courtesy Sprüth Magers and Metro Pictures, New York
In a show aptly titled Tapestries, this is Sherman's first non-photographic foray in over 40 years. It debuts for the first time in LA with a series of large tapestries as a cohesive work.
Despite being a new medium, Sherman explores familiar fundamentals and examines the construction of identity and the mode of representation. Instead of creating new faces, the tapestries are based on images posted on Shermans personal Instagram account. The artist regularly publishes pictures of herself there, which are heavily manipulated with the help of filters and apps that change the face to create annoying self-portraits.
Untitled, 2019
Close up of Untitled, 2019
While the low resolution of these Instagram images makes them too poor to print, Sherman has incorporated this aesthetic into her woven work. When implemented in textiles, they give off a pixelated texture made up of the “warps and wefts of the thread”, which is enhanced by the use of saturated colors.
The tapestries, nine of which are on display, were made in Belgium, a nod to the long history of weaving and tapestries. The works are made from cotton, wool, acrylic and polyester, with each piece having a different character in Sherman's repertoire. In line with her photographic work, the artist's appearance is completely changed again. One tapestry shows a figure that looks like an alien clown with pink hair, purple skin, and fluttering eyelashes, while another is a blonde, bearded figure looking up at the sky and surrounded by a mountainous sunset.
Untitled, 2020
Close up of Untitled, 2020
The backgrounds of these works have the same weight as the figures, whereby the digitally manipulated figures are so strongly warped in places that they begin to blend into their surroundings. These vary from simple gray or white to elaborate, distorted landscapes, which in turn were created with Instagram effects. While Sherman's photographic portraits are usually exaggerated, her characters are even more distorted and almost creepy in this new work.
On a deeper level, Sherman pulls out of art history by weaving digital tools like Photoshop and Instagram filters into tapestries – a traditional medium often coded as female – and challenges contemporary gender and societal roles.
Untitled, 2020
Cindy Sherman: Tapestries are now available through May 1st, 2021 at Sprüth Magers Los Angeles. @indysherman