Marilyn Diptych

Marilyn Diptych. Andy Warhol. 1962 C.E. Oil, acrylic, and silkscreen enamel on canvas.

• Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych is made of two silver canvases on which the artist silkscreened a photograph of Marilyn Monroe fifty times. 
• At first glance, the work—which explicitly references a form of Christian painting in its title—invites us to worship the legendary icon, whose image Warhol plucked from popular culture and immortalized as art. 
• This image is a carefully crafted critique of both modern art and contemporary life.
• True to form, the actress looks at us seductively from under heavy-lidded eyes and with parted lips; Warhol’s use of the silkscreen technique further “flattens” the star’s face. 
• By screening broad planes of unmodulated color, the artist removes the gradual shading that creates a sense of three-dimensional volume, and suspends the actress in an abstract void.
• In this way, the painting suggests that “Marilyn Monroe,” is merely a one-dimensional (sex) symbol—perhaps not the most appropriate object of our almost religious devotion.
• But whereas most works that use grids are abstract, here, the the grid repeats a photo of a movie star, causing the painting to resemble a photographer’s contact sheet, or a series of film strips placed side-by-side. 
• These references to mechanical forms of reproduction further prove that for Warhol, painting is no longer an elevated medium distinct from popular culture.
• Warhol's choices create a symmetry between the artist and his subject, who each seem to be less than. The artist becomes a machine. 
• Her death haunts this painting: on the left, her purple, garishly made-up face resembles an embalmed corpse, while the lighter tones of some of the faces on the right make it seem like she is disappearing before our eyes.
• The painting is more than a mere celebration of Monroe’s iconic status. It is an invitation to consider the consequences of the increasing role of mass media images in our everyday lives.
• Repetition drains the image of Monroe; cult of celebrity; color represents her life, black and white represents her death; social characteristics magnified: brilliant blonde hair, lipstick