Cindy Sherman: Lack of Identity in Self-Portraits
Cindy Sherman, a modern female photographer, captures herself in a series of self-portraits from the late 1970s to contemporary time. Although Sherman photographs herself, she takes on different roles and personas within the images and subtly addresses gender and popular culture issues.
Her playfully ironic photographs of the nameless Hollywood celebrity, the young girl in the big city and the housewife fantasizing about escaping reality, capture the essence of the American dream and are tied together through Sherman’s constructed identities. The result is a terrific blend of reality and fiction, and one’s perception of self in relationship to the stereotypes defined by American culture.
Within Sherman’s series of self-portraits she simultaneously appears as herself and as some unknown character. Her lack of identity within the images makes them all the more enjoyable as they actively capture our own desires and dreams for a created identity. In a 1990 New York Times article Sherman stated, “I feel I’m anonymous in my work. When I look at my pictures, I never see myself; they aren’t self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear.”
I love escaping into the created reality of these photographs and I hope you will too! Enjoy!
Top 10 Christmas Movies
With Thanksgiving under our belts (literally), we can finally embrace the festive holiday cheer. I know some of you scrooges out there hear “Jingle Bells” and want to go crawling under a rock but over here at THE MILL we are always in the spirit of celebration and what better way to start the season than by watching a Christmas movie? Below are my top ten personal favs.
This is the only Christmas movie that my grandparents own and we watch it every year while my grandma and I bake cookies. The 1954 Technicolor musical starring Bing Crosby has it all - singing, tap dancing and awesome fur mufflers (I want, I want!).
A movie from our generation, Macaulay Culkin is the ultimate prepubescent badass. Not only does he pull pranks on two mean guys, makes friends with the pigeon lady and goes ice skating in Central Park, he does it all with that Munch inspired face.
*I combined Home Alone 2: Lost in New York within this category
When Tim Allen starts taking on characteristics of Santa Clause I can’t help myself from laughing. His mysterious weight gain, white beard and jolly spirit make me giggle like a little kid.
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas
I haven’t seen Tim Burton’s exhibition at the MOMA yet but I would advise you all to check it out. The director’s spooky stop-motion-fantasy-musical reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe’s similarly beautiful yet creepy poems and will take you into a land of imagination and creation where anything is possible.
A wonderful classic (ha, get it?), this movie is a tear-jerker and makes you realize how you can impact other’s lives for the better.
Another feel good movie, I love the British accents and overlapping narratives. After seeing this movie I was inspired to buy a red jacket like Natalie, the cute low love luck assistant to Hugh Grant who plays the British Prime Minister, wears in the final scene. The heartwarming narratives about love blend together in a fabulous rendition of “All I Want for Christmas.” Plus, watching Hugh Grant dance to “Jump” is fantastic.
*Great soundtrack, I might add.
Will Ferrel at his best. Buddy the Elf is the best elf there ever was. This movie makes me LOL to the point where I can’t breathe, and his awkward yellow tights would make a perfect holiday costume. A pure pleasure to watch.
3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
My family watches this movie every season in preparation for the annual arrival of our extended family. Comparing our unusual family to the Griswolds can make anyone feel somewhat normal. From the oversized Christmas tree to the attack of the squirrel, the Griswold Family Christmas is a hard one to compete with - everything that could go wrong does and does to the extreme.
Bill Murray plays the best Scrooge EVER. In a 1988 take on Dickens’ classic story A Christmas Carol, Murray encounters the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future and in a humorous yet sincere way realizes the fault of his greed.
The BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE OF ALL TIME. Who doesn’t want an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time for Christmas? The narrated story of Ralphie Parker’s quest for the Red Ryder BB gun characterizes the hysterical and quirky Parker family through memorable encounters with the leg lamp, pink bunny suit and double-dared pole liking incident. A lovable movie to be enjoyed over and over again. Unless, of course, you poke your eye out.
This an interesting recent New York Times article on contemporary art from Pakistan and its impact on the current Asia society. The exhibition, “Hanging Fire” explores the importance of traditional styles and forms integrated into modern works. The 15 artists depict a variety of subjective responses in an array of medium and content.
I especially like the vibrant colors, curious gender and pop culture refernces.
:)
-LAM
Animal Collective @ Terminal 5 5/13/09
Listening to their early material, a mix-up of sound experiments and
tribal chanting freak-outs (an acquired taste, for sure) you would
never expect Animal Collective to adopt an almost jam band aesthetic to
their live set. But that’s just what it felt like. Reworking older
numbers to fit the harmonious, deep-bass grooves prevelant on their new
album, the set flowed like a masterful DJ set. Jamming for almost 2
hours straight with no interruption, their catchy harmonies melded
together with every other voice as the packed house rode the psychedlic
waves along with the group. Best live show of the year so far.
Perpetual envelope-pushers, we can’t wait to see what these guys roll
out with next.
