Untitled Film Still #10

1972–1976

From painting to photography

At college Sherman majored in painting but, frustrated with it ('I was meticulously copying other art'), took up the camera; having failed the required photography class as a freshman, she retook it with Barbara Jo Revelle, who introduced her to conceptual art. She graduated with a BA in 1976.

1974–1980

Together with Robert Longo

Sherman lived with the artist Robert Longo, who featured her in his 'Men in the Cities' series and encouraged her to record her 'dolling up' for parties; this was the beginning of her Film Stills. Other accounts date their meeting to 1976; they lived together until 1979 and remained friends.

1979

To Arizona with her parents: “The Hitchhiker”

Sherman shot several Film Stills while preparing for a road trip to Arizona with her parents; “Untitled Film Still #48”, known as “The Hitchhiker”, was taken by her father at sunset during the trip.

1980

First solo shows in New York

Sherman's first solo show in New York was at the non-commercial space The Kitchen, and when Metro Pictures opened later that year its first show was her photographs; the gallery went on to represent her for 40 years. The Film Stills were first shown at Artists Space, where Sherman worked as a receptionist.

1980

Ends the “Film Stills” and turns to colour

Sherman finished the Film Stills when, as she put it, she had run out of clichés, and with the Rear Screen Projections series moved from black-and-white to colour and to large formats.