Q. This is the cover of Lady Gaga’s album, Born This Way, and below it is a still from a video by the photographer Cindy Sherman. What elements are similar?

A. Many elements are similar, including the ashen face, open mouth and of course the very, very red lipstick. Popular culture often references fine art in ways that we’re not aware of. Fine art images are often co-opted, softened, or re-contextualized so that they can be delivered to new audiences. Cindy Sherman’s work is about constructed identities, so it follows that an entertainer who shifts identity might find inspiration in her work.