“Untitled Film Still #20” is a photographic artwork created by Cindy Sherman in 1979. This piece is a part of the “Untitled Film Stills” series and is associated with the Feminist Art movement. The genre of the artwork is photography, where Sherman often explores the construction of identity and the nature of representation.
In “Untitled Film Still #20,” we see a black-and-white photograph that captures a woman standing in a doorway with her body turned slightly as if she is stepping out or pausing as she exits the building. She is dressed in what appears to be a traditional or perhaps vintage attire, including a scarf wrapped around her head, a blouse with puffy sleeves, and a skirt. The woman carries a small handbag and seems to be in a contemplative or distracted state, gazing off to her right, unaware or indifferent to the camera’s gaze.
The image evokes the style and aesthetics of mid-century American or European cinema, reminiscent of a moment captured from a classic film. The setting is nondescript, with residential architectural features, suggesting a context that is ordinary and familiar, yet also ambiguous. The high contrast and lighting create dramatic shadows, enhancing the cinematic feel of the photograph.
Sherman’s work in this series often interrogates the stereotypes of women in popular culture, particularly as they are portrayed in films, and the complex ways in which these representations shape understandings of femininity and identity. In staging herself as the subject in various guises, Sherman dissolves the boundary between artist and muse, subject and object, while inviting viewers to consider the manifold roles that women inhabit or are assigned.
