Untitled, 1989

For her edition Untitled (1989), Cindy Sherman uses the illuminated light box to intensify the tension between surface and transformation, beauty and grotesque. In its unlit state, the image shows Sherman herself in a more glamorous guise, her makeup clearly visible, with just a few ants scattered across her face. But once the light box is activated, the cosmetic veneer disappears and a second transparency emerges: far more ants swarm over her features, overtaking the initial portrait. The shift is both surreal and unsettling, turning the stylised, performative image into a scene of creeping invasion. With characteristic wit and provocation, Sherman exploits light and layered transparencies to interrogate ideals of femininity, perception, and bodily integrity – recasting the act of looking as an encounter with disruption and unease.