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This will be my place to display different concepts, thoughts, processes in the making of my final year project in a world without shared studio spaces.
In this ‘Untitled Film Stills’ series of photographs, Cindy Sherman worked to create her own sequence of still images, shot not to form a linear narrative but instead, each image was created to convey just a hint of the world of a different fictional film, allowing the viewer to create their own personal narrative associated to each individual image.
Untitled Film Still #17, 1978.
The series are comprised of only self-portraits however not auto-biographical Sherman plays out her own ambiguous characters drawn from cinema. Taking inspiration from certain films, directors and actors from the 1950’s through 1970’s.
“Untitled Film Still #63”, 1980.
In creating the series, Sherman allowed for women ‘in film’ to be portrayed by a woman, that was previously very uncommon much of cinema had previously allowed. In an industry dominated by men, much of what was written for women felt inaccurate to her experience as a woman.
By mimicking the character archetypes in film, she poses as female characters written often rather two-dimensionally and inaccurately by men. Taking inspiration from various films, directors and actors from the 1950’s through 1970’s.
Mimicking feminist essentialism. That follows the idea that to be seen as worthy women must adhere to a long list of nonsensical standards (pretty, put together, cook, clean, care for men – unrealistic sexist standards)
Sherman’s work ultimately questions the metaphysics surrounding gender. Basically, why we think the way we do and why we do. The same questions raised by myself as a child questioning gender expectations and expression. I still don’t have any answers to this, aside from the fact we live in a patriarchal world with set systems in place as to protect the way things are.
Whilst trying to define the inspiration of her work, Calypso has expressed that she enjoys making work that will be judged by men, work leaving men with the impression that, “women are so stupid for liking this.” In her interlinked series, ‘Joyce,’ ‘The Honeymoon,’ and ‘What to do With a Million Years’ she posed as an up-and-coming travel writer to attain access to the beautiful interiors of American “lover’s retreat” hotels.
Sensory Deprivation, 2016 from the series, ‘The Honeymoon’
Untitled, 2013 from the series, ‘Joyce’
Toying with retro hyper-feminine aesthetics, Calypso created a fictional character present throughout the series named Joyce. Calypso takes self portraits, playing the character of Joyce herself. She uses subtle humorous undertones to mock the construction of femininity, as Joyce uses various beauty treatments throughout the series. Appearing to become numb to the laboured process of staying young and beautiful alongside interiors relative to the 1960’s associated to the second wave of feminism. Joyce, appearing tired of these processes that to many seem silly slowly appeared more aware and ‘in-on-the-joke’ as the work progressed.
A Dream In Green, 2015 from the series, ‘The Honeymoon’
Acknowledging the odd nature of these ritualistic routines, Calypso declared that in her opinion she wants to communicate the problem is not with the women who engage in these practises but instead with those who view these women as idiotic for doing so. “Stop patronising us. We know what we’re doing.”
Commissioned work for ROLLACOASTER / WONDERLAND MAGAZINE 2017
Commissioned work for ROLLACOASTER / WONDERLAND MAGAZINE 2017
“I don’t have a studio, I always work on location – I like to search out private spaces that are made for indulging in fantasy and seduction. I began taking pictures in bedrooms and bathrooms, but as my work has grown, what better place than the honeymoon suite, where the archetypal rituals of the wedding night take place? My process is a bit like making a low-budget film, except it’s a one-person operation. Sometimes I’m the tyrannical director who wont let anybody stop working, and sometimes I’m the wayward actor who won’t get out of bed.”
If You Can’t Live Without Me, Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?, 2016 from the series, ‘The Honeymoon’“
“All of my work essentially boils down to two things: desire and disappointment. And I like to find humour in the path from one to the other. There’s a certain level of irony in all of my images. An important lesson I’ve learnt along the way is that humour is a powerful tool for women. “The honeymoon hotel is a space charged with anticipation, and desire. I like to put my character through the rituals that would otherwise play out in these spaces with two people – the preparation, and then watch as disappointment unfolds. Solitude and loneliness are big themes. I’ll only ever appear alone.”
Image posted to Calypso’s Instagram page, 2015.
Image posted to Calypso’s Instagram page, 2015.
“We’ve always been inclined to ‘dress up’ haven’t we? Since being little. I still like to do that, lots of us do. As RuPaul said, ‘you’re born naked, and the rest is drag’. I’ve always said that I use my work to explore the private underlife of a woman consumed by the laboured construct of femininity. And I do this because it’s a theme that I can relate to very well. It’s half autobiography and half nonsensical fantasy. Because of the kind of work I make, I always get male critics asking, ‘but can you really call yourself a feminist when you pose like that?’ Of course the answer is yes. It’s like there are certain conditions that you need to check off in order to prove you are one of the ‘good feminists’. I hate it when the privileged tell the oppressed how to protest.”
“My generation came of age at the same time as digital photography, the internet and the selfie. It was an awkward time to be alive. There are a lot of female photographers publishing self-portraits alongside their photographs of female friends and models, which I think is wonderful. I just feel separated from that world because I exclusively photograph myself. It can feel very limiting at times, but morally, I feel very comfortable. I’m too neurotic to take on the responsibility of photographing someone else. The only person I’m exploiting is myself.”
