- 403
Cindy Sherman
Estimate
280,000 - 350,000 USD
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Description
- Cindy Sherman
- Murder Mystery
- each signed and dated 1976 on the reverse
- gelatin silver print cutouts mounted on paperboard, in 6 parts
- Horizontal: 16 1/2 by 21 1/2 in. 41.9 by 54.6 cm.
- Vertical: 21 1/2 by 16 1/2 in. 54.6 by 41.9 cm.
- Executed in 1976, this work is unique.
Provenance
Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York
Literature
Gabriele Schor, Cindy Sherman: The Early Works 1975-1977, Ostfildern, pp. 264-7
Condition
This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and curling toward the edges of the photographs. Some of the images are irregularly cut and torn, which is inherent to the artist's working method. There is a light surface abrasion on the female figure in the second panel. Each photograph is hinged verso to the matte and framed under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Murder Mystery, a unique edition of six black-and-white photo collages, dates to 1976, when Sherman was a student in Buffalo, a crucible of alternative practices at the time in art, experimental filmmaking, and new music. She had already banded together with such artists as Robert Longo and Charles Clough to found the gallery Hallwalls there, and in an exchange of venues with Artists Space in New York City in 1977, the young artists presented their work. Sherman had photographed herself in the guise of multiple characters in an elaborate murder mystery involving a 1930s actress, her director, and trench-coated detectives, among others. For the exhibition, she cut out each of the characters and composed elaborate tableaux, pasting the images directly to the gallery walls and arranging them into eighty-two separate scenes, like the storyboard for a Hollywood film. Sherman reprinted the photographs in 2000, recreating in collage various scenes from her imaginary movie. The images are immediate precursors to her famous Untitled Film Stills series.