Untitled Film Stills

Cindy used herself to illustrate common stereotypes seen in television and movies from that time. After graduating in 1976, Cindy moved to a small apartment in New York City. Living in a rough neighborhood, she often felt threatened outside, so she took photos in her own home.  Between 1970 and 1980 is when Cindy created her most known series, Untitled Film Stills. In these stills she wanted the photographs to be entirely moment oriented and to have the slight suggestion that the characters had a life outside that moment and left it to the viewer to decide just what that moment was. In an interview where she was asked about her still series, she said, “The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told” (Stevens). This proves true in the sense that the viewers come up with their own narrators for the stills.Cindy created her photos entirely on her own by taking the photos, modeling for them, and by doing her own make up and picking her wardrobe. Her work stayed consistent for the most part except for the addition of prosthetics and later on her usage of mannequins. She takes complete control over her photos on her own and it makes her work that much more successful and inspiring.