“Untitled Film Still #18” is an artwork created by Cindy Sherman in 1979. As a notable piece from the “Untitled Film Stills” series, it falls within the Feminist Art movement, typifying the focus on themes of female identity and representation. Through this black and white photograph, Sherman plays with the conventions of film and gender, often examining the role of women in both media and society.
In the image, we see a figure, likely Sherman herself as she frequently serves as her own model, standing on a city sidewalk. The environment evokes the ambiance of a classic film scene, with the architecture featuring brick buildings, decorative details, and wrought-iron fences casting shadows in the sharp light. The subject is dressed in what could be considered quintessential attire of the time period, embodying a character that seems to be caught in a contemplative, perhaps narrative-driven moment. The photograph challenges the viewer to question the nature of the scene: is this a still from an actual film, or an artistic statement on the portrayal of women in film and society? Indeed, the scene invites a narrative but purposefully leaves it untold, tapping into the viewer’s familiarity with cinema to fill in the blanks with personal interpretation and cultural expectation.
