Abstract This paper examines "Sex Pictures," a series by artist CindySherman, through the critical analysis of Judith Butler. The paper looks at structural feminist theories and binary oppositions. The author gives examples of specific works.
From the Paper "It can be argued that the work of Cindy Sherman is -at least in part- feminist critique. Certainly in reading the feminist theory of critics such as Judith Butler, one can easily see that Sherman's 'Sex Pictures' series argues on the same side of post-structuralist feminism that Butler champions. Furthermore, in juxtaposition to the work of a similar yet categorically male artists such as Hans Bellmer, it is easily seen that while Bellmer seems to operate on a more essential..."
Tags:cindysherman, judith butler, hans bellmer, feminism, post-structuralism, Lacan
Abstract This paper looks at the work of CindySherman, a famous American photographic artist. It explains that the main focus of her work is herself. By turning the camera on herself, she symbolizes the complexity of being female through images that simultaneously shock and challenge the viewer. The writer points out that, by creating close-up images, she succeeds in creating a sensation of exaggerated nearness, yet dispels any feeling of closeness or intimacy. Her work creates a tension between familiarity and strangeness. The question of female identity is also a central concern that is explored.
From the Paper "Sherman rarely grants interviews and seldom allows herself to be photographed out of character. Her work has been exhibited in more than 75 solo and as part of over 150 group exhibitions. Sixty-four museums collect her prints. Today, her prints sell for between $20,000 and $50,000. A print from the Untitled Film Stills series was recently auctioned by Christie's for a record $190,000 - an unprecedented figure for a living artist/photographer. In 1996, New York's Museum of Modern Art paid $US1-million for the complete Untitled Film Stills series."
Abstract This paper discussed Sherman's work and how she uses photography to probe and clarify gender relations and stereotypes about women and society.
From the Paper "Photography may be an old medium, but it was only really discovered and recognized as a form of art recently and accepted into the mainstream as a part of a fundamental postmodern shift in art appreciation. After being marginalized for so long, it is important to look at innovations and the relationship between the art and the potential for its impact on how we see society and how artists use photography as social commentary. Photography engages every postmodern critical or..."
Tags: male gaze, female stereotypes, confrontational art, photography
Abstract This paper looks at a selection of photographs from Sherman's "Disasters and Fairy Tales" collection of work, through Kristeva's theory of abjection.
From the Paper "As Kristeva describes it in "Powers of Horror," abjection preserves what existed in the archaism of pre-objectal relationship in the immemorial violence with which a body becomes separated from another body in order to be (Powers). While this may seem like a complex idea, the makeup of it is actually quite simple to grasp. The pre-objectal relationship that Kristeva speaks of is the time in youth and adolescence prior to the female's realization that she is not a subject and..."
Tags:cindysherman, julia kristeva, phtography, abject, abjection
Abstract CindySherman, post-modern photographer, can be considered a bit of a rebel due to her opinion of photography as an art form. This paper examines what sets Sherman aside from other photographers of her time by examining her photographic career. It also examines the difficulty in 'categorizing' Sherman's work. The paper touches on post-modern feminist theory.
From the Paper "Again, categorizing Cindy Sherman as a post-modernist, or as a symbol of feminism escapes most critics. As she herself would have said "I am whatever I want to be." And that includes her poses as famous actresses or models of centuries earlier. And yet, the "woman photographer" label continued to follow her."
Abstract This paper is an examination of how gender politics affect photography. The paper centers on Man Ray and CindySherman. The paper looks at how Man Ray revolutionized the art of photography; his artistic notion of gender politics. Sherman's photography as framed within the feminist critique of patriarchy.
From the Paper "Certainly one of the most often and erroneously perpetuated myths in art is the idealistic notion that photography is an expression of truth. If this were the case, we would be prompted to answer the question 'whose truth?' A simple study of the mere gender politics inherent in photography proves that if there is any truth to be found in photography, it is most certainly of a relativistic nature. Here we will study the photography of photographers..."
Abstract The paper explains that the curatorial premise of the hidden self is conveyed in both direct and indirect methods in relation to the self-portraits studied in this format. The paper discusses how by utilizing the indirect method of realizing the abstract self in the works of Van Gogh, Schmidt-Rottluff and CindySherman, the works of Oursler and Richter convey direct confessional statements on the hidden self that the artists seek to bring out in their works. The paper concludes that in this manner, the hidden self is revealed in different manners and through the different mediums over the last two centuries.
From the Paper "This study will examine five self-portraits by artists from different eras within the curatorial premise of both direct and indirect aspects of the "hidden self". Through this scope, the artistry of Van Gogh, Richter, Oursler, Sherman, and Schmidt-Rottluff will be examined to reveal the differing sense of hidden self that lies behind each of these works. By examining the nature of the hidden self, one can find that these artists convey problematic issues of personality in the cultures through the different art mediums of the past two centuries."
Abstract The paper describes Sherman's vicious and destructive campaign to dismantle the forces of Confederate resistance along the 300 mile march to the sea. The paper shows how President Lincoln needed Sherman's march to be as effective and destructive as possible in order to dismantle the psychological and physical tie that kept the southern people and its army holding out against the Union forces. The paper illustrates the violence involved but concludes that Sherman's march was both militarily and psychologically necessary to bring about a close to the war.
Outline:
Introduction
The Need to Succeed
The March to the Sea
In Summary
From the Paper "In September, 1864, when Atlanta fell into the hands of the Union's General William T. Sherman, the march to the coast, especially the last five miles of that march, would prove the most difficult faced by Sherman's Union forces during their 300 mile long march through the south. "Sherman's march," or the "march to the sea," which has become historically synonymous with a 300 mile path of death and mindless destruction inflicted upon the Confederate Army, southern civilians, and refugee-slaves by the advancing Union Army under the direction of General Sherman; was in fact not just a strategic victory, but a psychological victory for the Union Army, and served as a turning point in the American Civil War."
Tags: Confederacy, atrocities, violence, Lincoln, Ebeneezer, Creek
This paper examines the rationale behind the Sherman Antitrust Act and the possible effects of the U.S. government's plan to dismantle the Microsoft monopoly.
Abstract This paper explores the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and asks whether trusts or monopolies are truly harmful to the consumer. This paper focuses on Standard Oil, A T & T and the Microsoft Corporation as well as the recent government decision which seriously considers breaking up Microsoft into two or three separate companies. The writer of this paper also discusses whether the Sherman act encourages or restricts competition.
From the Paper "It is a fact that Microsoft, through its economies of scale, could bring out various products at a lower rate. Volume can provide lower costs which, all other things being equal, are passed on to the consumer. So, in essence, a Microsoft broad scope benefits the ultimate consumer, and has demonstrably done so, while the competition among long distance carriers and gasoline refiners has not shown top have lowered the costs to consumers very much, if at all. Interestingly enough, when Henry Ford's production techniques allowed him to outsell and under-price all competition, there was no thought of considering Ford in violation of the Sherman Act."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, commander of the Western armies that took Atlanta in 1864. Specifically, it looks at how his capture of Atlanta and eventual March to the Sea, ended the Civil War.
From the Paper "William Tecumseh Sherman is one of the most well-known and notorious generals of the Union Army in the Civil War. The people of Georgia still speak his name with contempt if they speak it at all, due to his infamous burning of Atlanta and his March to the Sea, which eventually helped bring the South to their knees, winning the war for the North. During his military career, he was hailed as a savior, called "crazy," and demoted; yet, he became one of the best-known and successful generals in the Civil War."
Tags: atlanta, march, sea, civil, war, north, south, military, general
Abstract This paper discusses General William Tecumseh Sherman's innovative style of warfare in terms of why he pursued his destructive March to the Sea, how it was accomplished, and what affect it had upon the South. The paper concludes with an evaluation of its long-term legacy.
Abstract This paper will discuss W.T. Sherman's view on blacks and the politics that accompanied his decision making process. Quotes from his memoirs will be used as an example to explain his viewpoint and belief system. His personality will be revealed by the memoirs that he wrote and will be analyzed.
Abstract This paper discusses the play, 'Bent' and its historical significance. It further discusses elements within the script which evoke emotions and which are controversial in nature, yet necessary in relaying the event of the story. The play serves as an education to the world in the treatment of homosexual men in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, and allows the audience into the suffering of these 100,000 men who have been ignored for decades.
From the Paper "The play, Bent, by Martin Sherman, is one which tells a story that has been little known to the world for decades. It depicts the lives of homosexual men who were forced into concentration camps, and who endured lives of fear and suffering by Hitler, and Nazi Germany. As the world recalls the horrors that Hitler inflicted on the Jews, this issue is one that received neither public condemnation, nor acknowledgment until the play was produced. While Bent is an important statement on the historical world of our society, it is also filled with moments that engage the audience in emotions that are universal in their impact. The main character, Max, is a self-centered man who has no respect for himself, nor anyone else in his life. "
Compares History Portrait Series (1989-1990) of American photographer with works by Caravaggio & Gentileschi of 16th Century. Anaylzes themes of style, content, artist as model, meaning, gender and human suffering.
3,150 words (approx. 12.6 pages), 6 sources, 1999, $ 111.95
From the Paper " This study will examine the relationship between the photography of Cindy Sherman, specifically a number of the works from her "History Portraits Series" of 1989-1990, and selected works of the Italian Baroque painters Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. If one considers these three artists in terms of the evolution of a single vision, moving from Caravaggio through Gentileschi to Sherman, one can more easily see the relationships between and among their works. The thrust of this study will focus on such an evolution, from the traditional "masculine perception" (Garrard 4) of Caravaggio to the "special mixture of masculine and feminine elements" (Garrard 7) of Gentileschi to the radically humanist and subversive work of Sherman. Although Sherman, the focus of this study, expropriates the style and.."
