Cindy Sherman photos are headlining at the Broad Museum, but take a look at Kara Walker’s art

Cindy Sherman has made a career of photographing herself.  The photos, however, are not simply selfies.  For decade after decade she has been exploring and reflecting on women’s identities and woman’s changing roles in our society.  Much has been written about her exploration of identity, so I won’t go into it, except to comment that her view of women is often very grim–even when the women apparently have everything. Nonetheless, Sherman’s photographs are amazing as is this show at the Broad.

Even with a paid ticket in my hand I ended up having to wait in two separate lines before I was allowed to enter the Sherman show. But having attended jam-packed shows at LACMA, I want to thank the Broad Museum for maintaining limits on the number of visitors to the museum. It is actually possible to see the art works throughout the museum without having to dodge around other viewers.  (It was also good to see that the ‘guards’ in the galleries were young people.  They looked as if they could be art students dressed all in black.)

And speaking of other viewers…six ladies, apparently friends, entered the museum in the same group as I did.  I love that they dressed up in their ‘going-to-look-at-art’ clothes.  I wonder what Sherman would think of their sense of self, their identities.  Unlike many of Sherman’s photos, these ladies looked as if they were having a great time!

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