I 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 ShermanEveryone thinks these are self-portraits but they aren't meant to be. I just use myself as a model because I know I can push myself to extremes, make each shot as ugly or goofy or silly as possible.
Cindy ShermanIn horror stories or in fairy tales, the fascination with the morbid is also, at least for me, a way to prepare for the unthinkableโฆ Thatโs why itโs very important for me to show the artificiality of it all, because the real horrors of the world are unmatchable, and theyโre too profound. Itโs much easier to absorb โ to be entertained by it, but also to let it affect you psychologically โ if itโs done in a fake, humorous, artificial way.
Cindy ShermanPeople think because it's photography it's not worth as much, and because it's a woman artist, you're still not getting as much - there's still definitely that happening. I'm still really competitive when it comes to, I guess, the male painters and male artists. I still think that's really unfair.
Cindy Sherman