She failed the requisite introductory photography course because of her difficulties with the technological aspects of making a print, and she credits her next photography teacher with introducing her to conceptual art, which had a liberating effect on her. It was at this time that Sherman first encountered contemporary art, via fellow students such as Robert Longo. Untitled Film Stills , 1977-80 Upon graduation in 1977, Sherman and Longo moved to New York. Sherman took most of the photographs, but some were shot by friends and family. The complete series was first exhibited at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC in 1995, and in the brochure for that show, Phyllis Rosenzweig discusses the relationships between the works.
Similar characters appear in several photographs, resulting in mini series within the larger group.
For example, the first six images feature the same blonde actress at different points in her career. In each picture, Sherman depicts herself alone, as a familiar but unidentifiable film heroine in an appropriate setting. Since Sherman's characters in the Untitled Film Stills are not specified, we are free to construct our own narratives for these women. Sherman encourages our participation by suggesting, through the deliberate nature of her poses, that she is the object of someone's gaze. Williamson goes on to say that Sherman's work implicates the viewer in the construction of these identities while gazing at the images but, by offering so many characters, Sherman undermines this attempt to fix her image according to our desires.