Untitled #264シンディ・シャーマン · 1992

The Constructed Persona

A woman lies on her back, her form partially revealed from the waist down. A crown rests upon her head, while a mask obscures her facial features. This 1992 work utilizes the artist's own body to explore the boundaries of identity and the performance of the self.

The composition relies on the tension between what is hidden and what is exposed. By masking the face, the figure becomes an archetype rather than a specific individual. The presence of the crown introduces a layer of artifice, suggesting a staged or theatrical reality.

Context and Materiality

Created during a period when the artist was deeply engaged with deconstructing societal roles, this piece functions through the manipulation of visual cues. It belongs to a broader investigation into how media and expectation shape the perception of gender and personhood.

The work is held at The Feminist Institute in New York, United States. Through the use of costume and physical positioning, it challenges the viewer to look past the surface of the image to find the mechanisms of its own creation.