Jack Blog
October 13th, 2011 By Jack Morton
I find artist Cindy Sherman‘s M.A.C Cosmetics collaboration fascinating on so many levels.
In my more black-and-white youth, when I assumed images were either artistic or commercial, not both, I would have been disappointed to discover Sherman making images of herself to sell makeup. (Now the blurriness of the commercial and artistic feels not just tolerable but interesting in itself.)
Mostly I’m fascinated by M.A.C’s embrace of Sherman, an artist who over 30 years ago became famous for putting a frame around the way commercial photography and film represent and distort women. Often that involved, as it does in the MAC images, a makeup aesthetic that ranges from the outlandish to the downright ugly.
Sure, M.A.C has a history of busting things up (remember Rupaul, the world’s first drag-queen spokesperson?). But this brand collaboration is beyond bold. Showcasing an artist using your fall lineup in ways no consumer will ever emulate — now that takes imagination.
M.A.C Bloomingdale’s counter
