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MARILYN MONROE PORTRAIT COLLAGE

In this piece of portrait college, I choose an iconic figure, Marilyn Monroe, an American singer and actress known for her embellishing and sexy appearance in the early 1950s and late 1960s. I focused on using images and objects, such as music notes, vintage microphones, and iconic photos that represent Monroe to create my original collage. While creating this artwork, I thought about the emotions, materials, colors, and textures that come to mind when researching Monroe. Her vibrant red dress on stage is a clear indication of her theatrical performance and seductive attractiveness. The iconic photo of Monroe’s “flying skirt” was taken by Sam Shaw during a scene of the film The Seven Year Itch on September 15, 1954. On the bottom right corner, I inserted an image of Andy Warhol’s screen-printing of Marilyn Monroe. Warhol’s vibrant choice of coloring for Monroe’s painting illustrates her glamour, fame, and popularity. The painting is captivating and unique with contrasting coloring.

By adding a blue tone to this art piece, I want to highlight Monroe’s depression and mysterious death. Hidden the walls of beauty, fame, and star-power, Monroe suffered from anxiety and personality disorder, which was highly stigmatized during that time. Monroe committed suicide at the die of 36, and her short time in the limelight was strewn with scandals, sexualization, and sensationalism from the press to President John F. Kennedy. Her “half-broken” face is to emphasizes her suffering from mental health and suppression from the media.

I was inspired by Hannah Hoch’s use of digital and material manipulation of objects and people. Hoch reassembled images and text from mass media to critique popular culture and redefined the role of women. Hoch utilized composition and layering techniques and sliced together photographs she cut from popular magnizes to create a pictorial collage. Most of her work explored gender and identity and captures the satirical and nonsensical nature of popular culture during the Dada Movement.