The Artist and Challenging the Patriarchy

Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Still #15 created in 1978 is an image of an elegant and glamorous woman, peering outwards through a window. The image is confusing in its unrevealing nature, as its complexity arises from the uncertainty in the audience regarding the intention of the image, providing speculation as the outward scene the figure is viewing cannot be seen by the audience. Sherman has created the piece so the viewer is unable to identify the story behind the image as there is not enough information present, the ambiguity encouraging the audience to construct their own ideas surrounding the work. The artwork enables the audience to explore the image through their personal gaze and bias rather than presenting a succinct narrative. The contrast of the pendant with a cross and the brick wall conflict with the youthful and contemporary imagery, allowing an exploration of the stereotypes of femininity  and the representation of women in popular culture as it depicts an independent and strong woman, suggested by her lone stance in the image, in conflict with the assumptions regarding women present in patriarchal society. In this work, Sherman has conveyed women in a positive, empowering light as the figure is seen from an objective view, with no sign of the male gaze or the artwork as catering to the voyeuristic gaze present. The work is focused on the apparently confident woman, and the woman alone, emphasising the powerful nature of the female as the angle in which the image was taken presents the idea of superiority of the figure to the audience. This work also portrays the woman as outside the domestic sphere and distant from the traditional roles imposed on women by patriarchal society, signifying the confidence and power felt in breaking the tradition and not conforming to the assumptions of women in society.