FOX PRESENTS THE FILMS OF MARILYN THE DIAMOND DUST COLLECTION BY SIMON CLARIDGE
In 2014 celebrated contemporary artist Simon Claridge began a collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products - a Hollywood studio synonymous with some of the greatest films in living memory - and one of their most illustrious film stars; Marilyn Monroe. Twentieth Century Fox Studios produced 12 iconic films starring Marilyn Monroe, 5 of which are in Marilyn’s top grossing of all time; films that subsequently launched her career and began the world’s love affair with the captivating and stunning young actress. The six interpretations of Marilyn Monroe created for this collection are drawn from her most famous Fox movies; ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ and the prestigious and rare collection of photography stills, test shots and outtakes from the Fox Studios’ coveted archives. From the Fox film archives spanning decades, Claridge has created six silkscreens that capture Marilyn Monroe’s film career at Twentieth Century Fox. Some will be familiar to
you, ‘I Just Want to be Wonderful’ for example, is everything we know and love about Marilyn from the film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ in one image. Whilst others, taken from never-before-seen test-shots, will be less familiar, ‘Sounds Just Dreamy to Me’ captures Marilyn in a moment of playfulness during a wardrobe test-shot for the film ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ ; she is off camera, not off duty, but relaxed, at ease and unrehearsed. An invitation to explore these exquisite pieces of Fox film memorabilia is an extraordinary privilege, no more so than for Simon Claridge, whose artistic love affair with Marilyn Monroe began five years ago with the launch of his very first Diamond Dust collection. Claridge proceeded to depict other stars of stage and screen in his inimitable style, yet always returns to the Twentieth Century Fox film star Marilyn Monroe. Described by Claridge as the “ultimate film portrait”, Monroe has been immortalised in artistic practice for more than fifty years. Her rendition of the song
‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ is a renowned scene; the iconic pink dress and her exquisite features have inspired homages by the biggest Hollywood stars still to this day. The Diamond Dust Collection by Simon Claridge adds a new dimension to the Fox and Marilyn Monroe film legacy. With this unique fine art work, Claridge’s technique builds layer upon layer of colour and shade in his work and serves conversely to peel back the layers to reveal a quality in Monroe beneath the Hollywood veneer. This feat is both testament to Claridge’s refined artistic skill, but also his personal attachment to the movies ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘How To Marry a Millionaire’ , and the incurred zeal to pay respect to both the woman that she was as well as the silver screen icon that she became.
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