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img G02A81Untitled-Film-Still-81.1980 G02A13Untitled-Film-Still-13.1978 G02A26Untitled-Film-Still-26.1979 G02A64Untitled-Film-Still-64.1980 G02A03Untitled-Film-Still-3.1977 G02A17Untitled-Film-Still-17.1978 G02A50Untitled-Film-Still-50.1979 G02A59Untitled-Film-Still-59.1980 G02A34Untitled-Film-Still-34.1979 G02A08Untitled-Film-Still-8.1978 G02A47Untitled-Film-Still-47.1979 G02A27bUntitled-Film-Still-27b.1979 G02A36Untitled-Film-Still-36.1979 G02A20Untitled-Film-Still-20.1978 G02A05Untitled-Film-Still-5.1977 G02A22Untitled-Film-Still-22.1978 G02A42Untitled-Film-Still-42.1979 G02A16Untitled-Film-Still-16.1978 G02A38Untitled-Film-Still-38.1979 G02A65Untitled-Film-Still-65.1980 G02A06Untitled-Film-Still-7.1978 G02A01Untitled-Film-Still-1.1977 G02A46Untitled-Film-Still-46.1979 G02A21Untitled-Film-Still-21.1978 G02A62Untitled-Film-Still-62.1977 G02A15Untitled-Film-Still-15.1978 G02A37Untitled-Film-Still-37.1979 G02A19Untitled-Film-Still-19.1978 G02A24Untitled-Film-Still-24.1978 G02A54Untitled-Film-Still-54.1980 G02A43Untitled-Film-Still-43.1979 G02A32Untitled-Film-Still-32.1979 G02A14Untitled-Film-Still-14.1978 G02A28Untitled-Film-Still-28.1979 G02A53Untitled-Film-Still-53.1980 G02A61Untitled-Film-Still-61.1979 G02A58Untitled-Film-Still-58.1980 G02A33Untitled-Film-Still-33.1979 G02A04Untitled-Film-Still-4.1977 G02A18Untitled-Film-Still-18.1978 G02A49Untitled-Film-Still-49.1979 G02A44Untitled-Film-Still-44.1979 G02A39Untitled-Film-Still-39.1979 G02A06Untitled-Film-Still-6.1977 G02A51Untitled-Film-Still-51.1979 G02A63Untitled-Film-Still-63.1980 G02A25Untitled-Film-Still-25.1978 G02A09Untitled-Film-Still-9.1978 G02A55Untitled-Film-Still-55.1980 G02A29Untitled-Film-Still-29.1979 G02A48Untitled-Film-Still-48.1979 G02A10Untitled-Film-Still-10.1978 G02A40Untitled-Film-Still-40.1979 G02A52Untitled-Film-Still-52.1979 G02A30Untitled-Film-Still-30.1979 G02A35Untitled-Film-Still-35.1979 G02A23Untitled-Film-Still-23.1978 G02A12Untitled-Film-Still-12.1978 G02A83Untitled-Film-Still-83.1980 G02A56Untitled-Film-Still-56.1980 G02A31Untitled-Film-Still-31.1979 G02A84Untitled-Film-Still-84.1978 G02A11Untitled-Film-Still-11.1978 G02A60Untitled-Film-Still-60.1980 G02A02Untitled-Film-Still-2.1977 G02A45Untitled-Film-Still-45.1979 G02A27Untitled-Film-Still-27.1979 G02A82Untitled-Film-Still-82.1980 G02A41Untitled-Film-Still-41.1979 G02A57Untitled-Film-Still-57.1980
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In fall 1977, Sherman began making pictures that would eventually become her groundbreaking “Untitled Film Stills.” Over three years, the series (presented here in its entirety) grew to comprise a total of seventy black-and-white photographs. Taken as a whole, the “Untitled Film Stills”—resembling publicity pictures made on movie sets—read like an encyclopedic roster of stereotypical female roles inspired by 1950s and 1960s Hollywood, film noir, B movies, and European art-house films. But while the characters and scenarios may seem familiar, Sherman’s “Stills” are entirely fictitious; they represent clichés (career girl, bombshell, girl on the run, vamp, housewife, and so on) that are deeply embedded in the cultural imagination. While the pictures can be appreciated individually, much of their significance comes in the endless variation of identities from one photograph to the next. As a group they explore the complexity of representation in a world saturated with images, and refer to the cultural filter of images (moving and still) through which we see the world.