Natalie Breaux
Introduction to Digital Art and Design – Art 1531
Instructor: Jennifer Ghormley ghormley@mscd.edu
Extra Credit
October 29, 2009
What is their art about?
The artist I decided to write about was Cindy Sherman: photographer, model, director, and actress. I chose her because she has the coolest job and she doesn’t even know it. She creates several different characters with the use of makeup, wigs, and added nose/face pieces etc. She is the ultimate independent artist. She is her own model (maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always wanted to be the subject of an image.) and her own photographer as well as director. I will insert a couple of images of her acting out different characters here, so you can see what I am talking about.
As a side note, Cindy didn’t title her work because she didn’t want people to have a preconceived notion about her characters. Some of her artwork or characters were criticized yet she was not making fun of these people, just reinacting their character. Through a number of different series of works, Cindy has raised challenging and important questions about the role and representation of women in society, the media and the nature of the creation of art.
Cindy stated in the episode thought she couldn’t do that job for the rest of her life. I could see myself running out of ideas, but I definitely couldn’t see myself not doing a job like this for the rest of my life.
Does this artist inspire you? Each one of these artists from the “transformation” episode inspires me. It is not their work that is an inspiration but it is the reason behind the work. I know that this same theme has been cultivated in each one of my extra point papers and every time I watch another video, the idea sticks and evolves and makes me more jealous of these artists because I am not doing what they could be easily doing. I feel like I am stuck in a creative rut. I have not created work for myself in about 5 years. That is a long time to hold that feeling in…whatever feeling it is that you release when you create a work of art, some may call it a relief. I know it is a relief to me. And like I said, five years without that can make “an artist” go crazy. I need that release. I am inspired by these artists because they create art out of nowhere. They get paid out of nowhere for this random art that inspires them to live… art that they can call their own…art that is a creation of themselves.
I used to think that artists were the ultimate narcissists, but they aren’t. They are quite the opposite ((which is what I used to consider my self (a narcissist)…but I am very much an introvert like I feel most artists are)). Artists create work with their inspiration backed by their soul. I find this the ultimate forgiving of oneself to whoever is interested in seeing the inside of that person (through their work). You can take the deepest darkest of secrets and create a meaningful piece of work, or you could do the opposite. What I am trying to say here, and convince myself to believe, is that it is okay to make art work. It frees your soul. It creates and promotes personal growth. Kind of like the phrase of Nike, I feel like I need to “just do it.” I always try to find a huge meaning behind a potential artwork when the meaning is right there in front of me. I feel that all you have to do is create and the meaning, the vision, and the release will all follow naturally like it should.
Is it interesting? Why or why not? Yes, this artwork is interesting. I think it would be interesting to perform on a daily basis, but I do not feel as though I would be captivated or see a true meaning behind her work if I were to see it in a gallery. I could be wrong though…
What are your opinions about their artwork? Like I stated above, I think the action and subconscious intention (release and developing of oneself) behind her work is great, and every artist for that matter, regardless of the actual work itself.
