Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon

A exhibition which celebrated the enduring cultural phenomenon of Marilyn Monroe. Instead of a discussion of her fame, the exhibition went behind the scenes and asked the question, just who was Marilyn Monroe, the beautiful young woman born Norma Jean?

This exhibition unpacked the person behind the star through iconic imagery and artworks created during her life and following her untimely death at just 36 years.

To most commentators, Monroe was a bundle of paradoxes. She was sexual but innocent, that womanly body vying with that little-girl voice. She was vulnerable but also driven and calculating in her pursuit of star status.

Featuring more than 100 paintings, photographs and videos, this international exhibition celebrated the image of Marilyn Monroe that still electrified the world half a century after her death.

Images of well-loved movie scenes, familiar publicity photos and glimpses into Marilyn's private moments, including her struggle with her own fame were all showcased during the exhibition.

The exhibition coincided with a 'Festival of Marilyn' which featured screenings of her movies, furniture from the 1950s -1960s and memorabilia drawn from public and private collections in Australia, including:

•A significant collection of works by Richard Larter featuring Marilyn Monroe.
•A suite of Andy Warhol's Marilyn prints authenticated by the Warhol Foundation.
•Significant works from Australian public cultural collections, brought together for the first time