BEHIND THE BLONDE

Behind the blonde highlights and contradicts the stereotypical definition of the term “blonde” that is still used in modern society, through my muse Marilyn Monroe. Inspired by her article “curves versus character” which explains her frustration of continuously playing a character with no name and known just for her appearance. I have incorporated these themes into my research to capture the essence of who she really was and the strong woman behind the bleached hair and red lipstick she was typically known for, that made her the Hollywood's dream. Contrasting this with pop arts theme of Hollywood and the artists, Anna Ray and Tracey Emin to influence texture, colour and form in creating my own interpretation of this topic. In doing so I have created a collection of prints from my paintings within a pop art style, to portray Monroe as strong. To reflect this message further, within my textiles and embellishment I have taken element's of Tracey Emins message of strong femininity within her typography and Anna Rays installations exploring the idea that everything has depth with her use of colour.