One of the most well known artists of the Pop event was Andy Warhol, a young commercial illustrator from Manhattan, Whorl’s use of popular icons and brands as the focus of his art is what made him famous The Warhol painting I will be analyzing is Gold Marilyn Monroe. As an artist, Warhol used techniques that had rarely, if ever, been seen in the art world. He often combined painting and photography, by painting canvases silk screened with an image vivid bright abstract colors.
Though he often used his own photography, he was also known for using the photography Of Others When he wished to portray a subject he never had or never would have the opportunity o photograph. The painting is a portrait Of a young woman’s face Which has been silk screened on to the canvas. You can see very little of her clothing, because of the tight crop of the painting, however she appears to be wearing a garment that ties behind her neck. Her hair is short, yet falls close to her head below her ears.
It is softly waved and curled at the ends, and Warhol has painted it a bright golden yellow, The woman has a square jaw, high cheekbones, and a light complexion painted a pale pink. Her eyes are heavily lidded and accented with highly arched dark eyebrows. The woman’s gaze is focused directly on the rewire to the painting. She has a short rounded nose. The woman is smiling revealing a row of bright teeth, Her top lip is thin and the bottom is full, just above the left side of her lips is a small dark mole.
Fifth woman’s body could be seen, her left shoulder would be forward, the rest of her body is positioned away from the viewer. Her face is turned toward the viewer. The natural environment of the woman has been erased. Instead she is floating on a large golden canvas. There are no other objects or decoration in the work. The woman portrayed in the painting is the famous movie star Marilyn Monroe. The photograph that Warhol used for this piece is a publicity still from the 1953 movie Niagara. (Museum Of Modern Art) Marilyn Monroe has always been known, and always will be known as our nations most famous sex symbol.
Her personal life was even more interesting and exciting to the public than her films. She was married several times, and the mysterious events surrounding her death were rumored to be the result of an affair With President John Kennedy. Warhol chose the year of Monomer’s death, declared a suicide. To create this piece. Her troubled personal life and untimely death only made Whorl’s painting more rueful, He displays Monroe at her best. She is young and beautiful with styled hair and a made up face-yet inside she was empty.
By glorifying her, Warhol shows her vulnerability h She was an icon to millions, yet the constant demands from fans and the media drove her into the downward spiral which ultimately ended her life. This piece was created during a time of political and social change. Increased political awareness and a focus on celebrity demanded art that was more than simply beautiful to look at. The new generation hungered for art that created a statement Warhol made the perfect choice by selecting Monroe. He not only made a statement about his subject, but about his viewer as well.
Warhol points out that it was the publics obsession with her, that destroyed Monomer’s mental and physical health. By making such a bold statement he forces his viewers to question the very nature of celebrity and popular culture. Whorl’s strength as an artist lie not only in his skill, but in his ability to mentally engage his viewers and present aspects of American culture in a new light. An artist who worked with similar subject matter is Roy Liechtenstein, His 1964 painting Oh, Jeff… L Love You, Too… But… Is related to Whorl’s Gold Marilyn Monroe in its use of popular cuter to expose a societal problem.
Both Warhol and Liechtenstein used other artists’ work to create their own, though Warhol used photographs while Liechtenstein used comic books. Licentiate’s piece focuses on the unrealistic “happily ever after” endings which are continually fed to the public in books and movies. “Liechtenstein reminds us that this plot is only an adolescent fiction, real-life relationships like his own marriage, then in the process of dissolving, end, as here, with the “but” (Stoked 1103) The preferences between these two pieces are found in the techniques used to create them.
Liechtenstein was also much more influenced by his own personal life, While Warhol focused on the culture by which he was surrounded. I found myself drawn to Whorl’s Gold Marilyn Monroe because it questions the nature of our society. Although the piece was created over for years ago, its message is still relevant and clear. TO me its timeless quality is very valuable, as is the statement it makes. Warhol shows that it is possible to create art that is not only beautiful, but intellectually stimulating as well.
