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.
Cindy ShermanDreamers are those who have achieved in love and life, because it is a dream that got them there.
Cindy ShermanI wonder how it is that Iโm fooling so many people, Iโm doing one of the most stupid things in the worldโฆand people seem to be falling for it.
Cindy ShermanOne reason I was interested in photography was to get away from the preciousness of the art object.
Cindy ShermanI like making images that from a distance seem kind of seductive, colorful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you're looking at is something totally opposite. It seems boring to me to pursue the typical idea of beauty, because that is the easiest and the most obvious way to see the world. It's more challenging to look at the other side.
Cindy Sherman