Cindy Sherman, Untitled #654, 2023. Gelatin silver print and chromogenic color print© Cindy Sherman. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Written by Max Wiener

Photo Edited by Kit Matthews

Chances are when you see a Cindy Sherman piece, you’ll recognize it as hers. Her voice, an angelic creative cheer rising above the masses, continuously proves to be one of the most important in both the current zeitgeist and her generation as a whole. Her unique perspective allows her work to evoke a stirring emotional response. In her new series with New York’s Hauser & Wirth, Sherman- she presents a stunning display of artistic mastery rivaled only by the greats. Her return to SoHo is prodigious,and she created her iconic Untitled Film Stills there in the 1970’s. All in all, the thirty new pieces on Hauser & Wirth’s walls prove that Sherman’s finest work is created below Houston Street.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled #632, 2010/2023. Gelatin silver print and chromogenic color print© Cindy Sherman. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Sherman’s creative process for her newest series is widely captivating. With digital manipulation, she creates different characters, with opposing, entirely unique personas. Splicing in fragments of her own face, Sherman places bits of herself in each piece- directly correlating them with her belief systems. Doing so was a clear-cut choice by Sherman, aimed at highlighting the “malleability of the self.” Or rather, the idea that we all bend and mold to our different societal norms and surroundings. One may consider chameleons to best understand this concept… However, this small inflection makes the series not only a beautiful display of artistic talent, but an individualistic, widely accessible social commentary.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled #659, 2023. Gelatin silver print and chromogenic color print© Cindy Sherman. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Each face is seemingly distinctive- there is no familiar bond except Sherman’s facial fragments. Using her nose, ears, lips, and other facial features, each was digitally fragmented to reconstruct a new face. It appears that plastic surgery meets fine art- but this is where Sherman’s true artistic ability shines. Each new face we familiarize ourself relays an entirely different story. Perhaps each character portrays a different emotion or theme, as we parse through them for self-discovery. The pieces seem to have an “uncanny valley” element - the idea that we’re looking at something perhaps subhuman.Their eyes don’t look directly at us, but , rather, we are motivated to peer into them.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled #629, 2010/2023. Gelatin silver print and chromogenic color print© Cindy Sherman. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Even if Sherman had specifics in mind with each piece, she gives us the freedom to place ourselves within each image. If anyone were to continue to do this, it would be Cindy Sherman. Without her voice and creative integrity, the art world would suffer and remain stagnant. Let us continue to revel in her mastery, viewing it as the fountain of youth and affordance of new opportunities.