By Erin Free
The first Australian solo exhibition in more than fifteen years by New York-based artist, Cindy Sherman, is on right now at Brisbane’s Gallery Of Modern Art (GOMA). The exhibition, showing until October 3, includes Sherman’s two subversive fashion house collaborations, “Balenciaga” (2007–08) and “Chanel” (2010–2013), her iconic “Head Shots” (2000-02) and “Clowns” (2003–04), as well as “Society Portraits” from 2008. “These intriguing, beautiful and at times challenging characters come to life in 56 large-scale photographs,” says GOMA director, Chris Saines. “In addition, the exhibition’s centrepiece is an immense 5-metre-tall mural featuring a cast of even more eclectic and imposing personas. Cindy Sherman is one of the most recognised and influential artists of our time. She is the model, costume designer, make-up artist and photographer in every image.”
To complement the exhibition, the Australian Cinémathèque at GOMA will present “In Character”, a cinema programme of more than 65 films focusing on ideas and personas also reflected in Sherman’s photography. We spoke to José Da Silva – Senior Curator and Head of Australian Cinémathèque – about his programme, which is divided into four intersecting programmes, each populated by ideas and personas inspired by Sherman’s photography: “Hollywood Babylon”, “The Lady Of The House”, “Dangerous Relations”, and “Women In Revolt.”
What do you find so fascinating/essential about the work of Cindy Sherman? “Cindy Sherman’s work occupies an interesting space. Sometimes I find it entirely superficial. Other times, it’s deeply engrossing in its use of tropes and personas. I’m fascinated by this interplay, and the expectations that we bring to her work and to the representations of women more broadly, and how disarming a single expression or posture can be.”
How did you arrive at your four intersecting programmes? “Given the cinematic references that frame Sherman’s practice, it made perfect sense for a cinema project to be developed in response to the exhibition – not to illustrate these influences, but to extend upon some of the ideas and characters that appear throughout her practice. When I was planning the project, the initial idea was to reconsider the treasure trove of cult classics and guilty pleasures that constitute a kind of gay man’s feminism – fearless actresses and characters from the history of cinema who reject their social strictures and seek out a different path. I was thinking about Sherman’s headshots of aspirational women, her ageing stars of the golden age, the society portraits and fashion series that take pleasure in corrupting ideas of class and age. From here, a series of ideas emerged that governed the final selection of films – that of fame and notoriety, of glamour and facade, the image of women in domestic scenarios, women in dangerous and unconventional relationships, and those who discover newfound personal freedom by behaving badly.”
There’s a real spread across style and genre – was that important to you? “The programme runs for three months and, like all exhibitions, it requires a level of diversity to appeal to a wide audience and carry attendance throughout its run. It was also important to me to find ways of placing films from different contexts and genres alongside each other. Throughout the programme, there is a deliberate coupling of films, such that different ideas coalesce or can be expanded upon – or for audiences to consider the actresses and directors between two different features.”
There are quite a few “disputed” titles in there, like Boom, Showgirls, Mommie Dearest, and so on…did you enjoy slipping in contentious movies like these? “An interesting aspect to curating cinema for QAGOMA is the ability to create opportunities for films to be reconsidered. Some of the inclusions are films that were savaged by critics upon release, but that continue to have a dedicated fan base. I wanted to give these films a platform to be rethought of in relation to other films – and perhaps for their central performances to share the company of similarly daring roles.”
Did you have any difficulties sourcing prints, or getting the rights to the films? “As cinemas move completely to digital platforms, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to secure 35mm prints for our programmes. The Australian Cinémathèque is one of a few institutions in Australia that still screens on film where possible, and we invest a lot in locating the best available materials internationally. Researching rights is often the hardest part of the process, as ownership of titles lapse over time and materials are not always available. We have painstakingly searched for the best materials for this programme – a process that has taken us to studio vaults, archives, the estates of filmmakers, and personal collections.”
What film are you most excited about people seeing? “This is a programme filled with many of my personal favourites, and the most satisfying aspect is seeing them with an audience. There’s nothing better than the collective experience of watching a film like John Waters’ Pink Flamingos or Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession. I’m really looking forward to watching episodes of Absolute Fabulous with an audience and seeing films like Ms. 45 and Eyes Without A Face on film for the first time. I’m sure that there will also be some great discoveries for audiences, like Variety and Puzzle Of A Downfall Child.”
For all programme, venue, session, and ticketing information on In Character, head to the official website.
