Reclaiming the Maternal Body: Challenging the expectations and representation of pregnancy in Cindy Sherman’s self-portrait Untitled #205 (1989)

by Nanette Ashby

In the realm of contemporary art, few figures stand at the intersection of identity, culture, and photography as prominently as Cindy Sherman. Born in New Jersey in 1954, Sherman has carved a niche for herself through her pioneering photographic self-portraits. Her body of work challenges and deconstructs cultural norms and expectations, particularly those surrounding gender, celebrity, and the very medium she employs – photography itself.