--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The work is what it is and hopefully it's…" description: "\"The work is what it is and hopefully it's seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I'm not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/cindy-sherman-11074_bullshit_the-work-is-what-it-is-and-hopefully-it_928311.jpg" --- # The work is what it is and hopefully it's seen as feminist… ![“The work is what it is and hopefully it's seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I'm not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshit about feminist stuff.” quote by Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/cindy-sherman-11074_bullshit_the-work-is-what-it-is-and-hopefully-it_928311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/cindy-sherman-11074_bullshit_the-work-is-what-it-is-and-hopefully-it_928311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/cindy-sherman-11074_bullshit_the-work-is-what-it-is-and-hopefully-it_928311.jpg) > “The work is what it is and hopefully it's seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I'm not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshit about feminist stuff.” [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She emphasizes that her work should be judged on its own merit, not reduced to feminist theory, while acknowledging feminist influence. **In simple terms:** Her art stands on its own, not just feminist theory. Key Takeaway Judge the work itself. Themes art feminism authenticity Mood reflective defensive Type statement defense When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - art criticism - curatorial decisions - public reception Key Concepts feminist critique artist intent Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling affect perception? - Can art be both feminist and universal? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on label may limit interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Feminist art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist-art/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) ## Related quotes > [The issue of gender was never my biggest concern; my biggest concern was doing good work. 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This is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ahmed/to-be-a-feminist-at-work-is-or-should-be-about-how-we-challenge/) [Sara Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ahmed/) > [For a lot of women who don't go to college, or for a lot of women who aren't in New York or D.C. or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/for-a-lot-of-women-who-don-t-go-to-college-or-for-a-lot-of-women-who/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [I think the first trick to writing a feminist work is to write plenty of women. That way you get to write characters, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-think-the-first-trick-to-writing-a-feminist-work-is-to-write-plenty/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [Each feminist work has tended to be received as if it emerged from nowhere; as if each one of us had lived, thought, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/each-feminist-work-has-tended-to-be-received-as-if-it-emerged-from/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [For me, now, feminist art must show a consciousness of women's social and economic position in the world. I also believe it demonstrates forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-lacy/for-me-now-feminist-art-must-show-a-consciousness-of-women-s-social/) Suzanne Lacy > [Feminist art may... though perhaps our imaginations are so mutilated now that we are incapable even of the ambition, introduce a new theme... should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/feminist-art-may-though-perhaps-our-imaginations-are-so-mutilated-now/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [Sometimes, being a feminist artist, there are times where I'm in a position where I just want to feel like I'm saying all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/sometimes-being-a-feminist-artist-there-are-times-where-i-m-in-a-2/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [Feminist art... will take the great human themes – love, death, heroism, suffering, history itself – and render them fully human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/feminist-art-will-take-the-great-human-themes-love-death-heroism/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [The female body has always been a construction. Even feminist art of the 1970s fashioned a body in accordance with its own ideas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valie-export/the-female-body-has-always-been-a-construction-even-feminist-art-of/) [Valie Export](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valie-export/) > [I didn't like anti-Vietnam War art. I didn't like feminist art. I thought it was heavy-handed and stupid - as art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-didn-t-like-anti-vietnam-war-art-i-didn-t-like-feminist-art-i/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [I wouldn’t want to be labelled unless it was something much broader and inclusive such as an ecological artist or a visionary artist, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-schneemann/i-wouldn-t-want-to-be-labelled-unless-it-was-something-much-broader/) [Carolee Schneemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-schneemann/) > [Sometimes, being a feminist artist, there are times where I'm in a position where I just want to feel like I'm saying all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/sometimes-being-a-feminist-artist-there-are-times-where-i-m-in-a/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [I am not Lyme disease, that's not who I am, I'm still a feminist artist, but this is a part of my story too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/i-am-not-lyme-disease-that-s-not-who-i-am-i-m-still-a-feminist-artist/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) ## More by Cindy Sherman > [I don't analyze what I'm doing. I've read convincing interpretations of my work, and sometimes I've noticed something that I wasn't aware of, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-analyze-what-i-m-doing-i-ve-read-convincing-interpretations/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I don't think I can see the world through other people's eyes, but I can capture an attitude or a look that makes others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-think-i-can-see-the-world-through-other-people-s-eyes-but-i/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I’m really just using the mirror to summon something I don't even know until I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-m-really-just-using-the-mirror-to-summon-something-i-don-t-even/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Quite often, I will do something and think, 'Oh, no, she looks a little too much like me.' I have tried to learn not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/quite-often-i-will-do-something-and-think-oh-no-she-looks-a-little/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [The way I see it, as soon as I make a piece I’ve lost control of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/the-way-i-see-it-as-soon-as-i-make-a-piece-i-ve-lost-control-of-it/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [When I do work, I get so much done in such a concentrated time that once I’m through a series, I’m so drained I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/when-i-do-work-i-get-so-much-done-in-such-a-concentrated-time-that/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I didn't have any interest in traditional art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-didn-t-have-any-interest-in-traditional-art/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I always need to get away from whatever it is I've just finished, to feel a distance from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-always-need-to-get-away-from-whatever-it-is-i-ve-just-finished-to/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [My dad was such a bigot. He was a horrible, self-centred person. He was really racist and he'd talk about the Jews and blacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/my-dad-was-such-a-bigot-he-was-a-horrible-self-centred-person-he-was/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Some people have told me they remember the film that one of my images is derived from, but in fact I had no film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/some-people-have-told-me-they-remember-the-film-that-one-of-my-images/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [ I want\[ed\] to make a show of really big pictures, because you see male artists doing it all the time. It just seemed like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-want-ed-to-make-a-show-of-really-big-pictures-because-you-see-male/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I wonder how it is that I’m fooling so many people, I’m doing one of the most stupid things in the world…and people seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-wonder-how-it-is-that-i-m-fooling-so-many-people-i-m-doing-one-of/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I have had a lifelong fascination with horror movies, scary movies, how they work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-have-had-a-lifelong-fascination-with-horror-movies-scary-movies-how/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [Dreamers are those who have achieved in love and life, because it is a dream that got them there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/dreamers-are-those-who-have-achieved-in-love-and-life-because-it-is-a/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [I wanted pretty pictures of older women - women who are trying too hard but succeeding - pulling off an extreme look. What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-wanted-pretty-pictures-of-older-women-women-who-are-trying-too-hard/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) [Explore all 62 Cindy Sherman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) ## More Bullshit quotes > [I rap when I'm rich. I rap when I'm broke. I rap when I'm bullshit in the street. I rap about only having one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-rap-when-i-m-rich-i-rap-when-i-m-broke-i-rap-when-i-m-bullshit-in/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Yesterday's truth is today's bullshit. Even yesterday's liberating insight is today's jail of stale explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-blanton/yesterday-s-truth-is-today-s-bullshit-even-yesterday-s-liberating/) [Brad Blanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-blanton/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. 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