Do you have a self-portrait that's worth a fortune? American photographer Cindy Sherman sure does--her simple conceptual self-portrait from 1981!
Untitled #96 by Cindy Sherman via Pop Photo
Many are rolling their eyes and raising their eyebrows at Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled #96” for fetching a whopping price of $3.89 million, overtaking 99 Cent II Diptychon by Andreas Gursky (sold for $3.35 million). Some are even asking, is that a blushing boy or a seductively posed girl? But perhaps the biggest question would be, is it deserving of the recognition as the world’s most expensive photo?
The multi-million dollar print is part of Sherman’s edition of photos from 1981, and features the artist in a seemingly androgynous appearance and a predominant orange color scheme. She is reclining seductively while clutching what appears to be a crumpled newspaper clipping. The photo was sold to Philippe Segalot, a New York dealer.
The photo’s origin is perhaps one of the reasons why “Untitled #96” fetched such a sky-high sum. According to ArtInfo, the sellers acquired the print from the time when Sherman was still establishing a market for her work. Sherman later on became known for her conceptual portraiture, working as her own make-up artist, hair stylist, director, model, and photographer.
Do you think the photo deserves the crazy multi-million price ever raised by a photo? Let us know your thoughts with a comment below!
6 comments
gnarlyleech
I was surprised that was the photo. It doesn't look too spectacular, but one man's trash.....
fash_on
I'm happy that some photographers manage to make this kind of money, like most professions, photography has it's own superstars, nothing unusual about that.
sthomas68
Personally I just don't see it. I can think of a bunch of ways to take this same photo. Composition is good, color is good, posing is good, but not worthy of 3.89 million dollars. Somebody must owe someone else a lot of favors....
sthomas68
Also the patterns on the floor and the shorts are clashing for attention...do I look at the plaid, the face, or the 1970s style vinyl flooring???
antibiotyx
wow. who ever bought it must be an obsessed fan/collector. art auctions work in ridiculous ways, indeed.
webo29
@gnarlyleech. agreed. photo is rather awful. but it's a Cindy Sherman and that's what counts on the market I guess.