The first piece, “Someone This Week Will Die. (R.I.P. Marissa)”, is my favorite piece of my Marissa series so far.  The composition of this piece is based on visual style used in promotions for various teen television series.

"Someone This Week Will DIE. (R.I.P. Marissa)" 16 x 18. Acrylic on Panel. 2012 © Elizabeth Grammaticas

We know Marilyn Monroe as bright, bold, and omnipresent.   As a result, the images of Marilyn I find most interesting are the quiet illusive ones, often on poorly preserved materials.  For me with Marilyn, less is more and my most recent pieces have this in mind.

"Happy Birthday Mr. President". 10x10. Acrylic on Panel. Mixed Media

"Look at the Camera". Marker and Gouache on Paper. 12 x 16

For example, Marissa Cooper.  If you are familiar with this blog, than you are familiar with my fascination and studies of trauma, death, exile, etc in Teen Television.  Marissa, one of the main characters of television series The O.C. , dies in the season 3 finale unexpected and traumatically (car accident).  She has been self-destructive the entire series; that glamourous and rich yet tormented girl.  Still she is one of the few main characters from the series that has been consistently a main character since the pilot.  She dies, and the rest of the cast is left to carry on without her for one more season. …and then the show is cancelled.

I like, however ill-fated, that the show attempted to continue after Marissa’s death.  Many other shows, the characters are sad for a little bit, maybe a few episodes, and then everything is fine.  In the O.C. the characters are not only devastated, but deeply changed.

The superficially seeming best friend, Summer Roberts,  becomes a hardcore environmentalist at Brown.  The love interest, Ryan Atwood, goes off the rails and gets involved in fighting matches.

Marissa’s mother becomes a pill addict and is ruining her marriage.  In the realm of teen television, the is a refreshingly realistic reaction to a tragic death.

Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke) drugs herself into oblivion after her daughter's death.

Yet, the actual death of Marissa Cooper in the end of season 3…is very much in the melodramatic form you would expect from a teen show.   You have Ryan holding Marissa in his arms as you dies. …and best of all…you have the montages of the beautiful memories of Marissa.  You have the flashbacks to Ryan first meeting Marissa in the driveway..  She looks angelic, with the sun setting behind her.  We cut to Marissa dying in the road, after the car accident.  Everything feels cinematic and full circle…many of Marissa and Ryan’s most important interactions in the series took place in the road/on a driveway.  If it wasn’t enough with the montage, cue the soundtrack of Imogen Heap’s cover of “Hallelujah”..the obligatory song of love and loss.  In this moment, the editing of the O.C. makes Marissa Cooper’s death feel very full circle in a way that life at the moment of a traumatic death does not.

This editing and juxtaposition is what I am interested in and the below photoshop images are going to be the basis for some upcoming paintings.  We can’t curate our real life traumas, but in television we can.

Painting Study 2

Marilyn Study, 11/19/11

Blair’s most recent dream sequence, from “The Big Sleep No More”

There’s little things…like Blair Waldorf’s eyebrows in season 5.  Blair, always the Audrey Hepburn wannabe..is having her fairytale somewhat coming true by being engaged to a prince (A Grimali of course. ‘sup Princess Grace)..to coincide with her Audrey character transformation, her eyebrows have followed suit.

Season 1 vs Season 5

Audrey Hepburn in "Sabrina"

Speaking of Grimaldi…recently I saw Gigi , after recently seeing it on the big screen I couldn’t help but see some blatant similarities between Gossip Girl’s French prince Louis Grimaldi (Hugo Becker) and the French wealthy playboy  Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jordan).

Gossip Girl's Louis Grimaldi and Gigi's Gaston Lachaille

Louis & Blair, Gigi & Gaston

and just because this post is somewhat gratuitous , here’s a video of Louis Jourdan in Gigi…because…why not?

Gigi – It’s A Bore

Michelle Williams as Marilyn

“The Prince and the Showgirl” isn’t the best or worst Marilyn movie, nor does it have the most behind-the-scenes drama.  There is however, some notable background on “the Prince and the Showgirl”, some touched upon in Simon Curtis’s film, and some glazed over..  It’s the first and last “Marilyn Monroe Productions” film.  Marilyn fought against the studio to gain the freedom and creative control to do a project that she believed ‘would take her seriously’.  She is newly married to the very serious Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), and becomes newly untrusting of him upon finding a notebook of his that portrays her unfavorably.   She is costarring and under the direction of the very serious Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh)..among other stage actors such as Dame Sybill Thorndike (Judi Dench).  It’s her first time in the UK.  She is struggling with a pregnancy that fails. The film is about a glimpse and a crossroads into Marilyn’s life and Marilyn culturally.  It seems appropriate that “My Week with Marilyn” is based on her time in the UK..because much of contemporary critical discussion and scholarship on Marilyn Monroe is based on the UK.

Laurence Olivier and Marilyn at a NY Press Conference for the Prince and the Showgirl 1956

“My Week with Marilyn” is the most heartfelt attempt to understand Marilyn Monroe that I’ve seen in a motion picture, despite at times the questionable credibility of the initial text.    Michelle Williams doesn’t physically look all that much like Marilyn.  Marilyn is hard to physically capture,  and there are others with a greater likeness…but personality wise..Michelle finds Marilyn.  I agree with other critics that Michelle falls short of..performing Marilyn performing Marilyn (i..in her scenes recreating “The Prince and the Showgirl”), but at times if you blur your eyes, catch a profile, angle, a walk or an expression you see moments candor or pain where you feel like you are actually seeing something more real than a publicity shot of the real Marilyn Monroe with a her white dress blowing up over her head.    One of my favorite parts of the film is when Michelle as Marilyn goes “shall I be her?” and turns the Marilyn persona on.  This is seen in the trailer of the film, but like the trailer of the original “Prince and the Showgirl”…this trailer doesn’t remotely depict what “My Week with Marilyn” is about.  Both film’s trailers are marketed as steamy romances, and both films barely have romance, all of it is in the trailers.  The films are about basic interaction between very different people on a much more subtle level.

Current cover for the DVD release of "the Prince and the Showgirl". This scene does not occur in the film, nor does that dress.

Monroe’s image is so culturally and commercially saturated that it is a constant quest to find who Marilyn really is.  She hid it well, from herself included.   Yet..through another actress..…we are seeing facets of Marilyn that the public rarely sees, let alone on a big screen in color and high quality.  To me that was the most surreal part of the film iswhen one of those moments happened, and much like a CGI Dior commercial with dead old hollywood icons saying ‘Dior’, it appears to defy history.   It seems fitting that we are almost able to catch some of the real Marilyn…in 2011..and through another actress from the point of view of another person from another generation and from another continent.  As the mercurial queen of facades, persona, and self-molding….it’s only appropriate that through many other mirrors and people…. We think we see the real Marilyn Monroe…at least for a few moments.  “My Week with Marilyn” is worth seeing to try to catch those moments….and to give a little more insight and care to Marilyn that the contemporary audiences are usually neglected of….but as always be careful, this is ‘BASED on a true story.  Especially with Marilyn, what you see is rarely what you get, but at least at times in this film…..you do get something.

Williams as a distraught Marilyn. (My Week with Marilyn. 2011)

“My Week with Marilyn” will be released on November 4th in the United States and  November 18^th in the United Kingdom.

Williams and Redmayne

The Devil's House- Karen Kilimnik. 1998

Prince Charming - Karen Kilimnik. 1998

My semi-recent painting-soulmate discovery is Karen Kilimnik.  I cannot express how happy I am to have made this discovery.  Currently, she is the contemporary painter I most identify with.  Seeing her is inspiring and motivating.  There’s enough similarity in her work with mine, that it gives me a nice hearty gulp of confidence that  I might be able to make it as a painter.  Her work is brilliant enough that it inspires me to put forth my best possible work.   Her themes deal with celebrity, society, history, famous or fancy buildings, fantasy..and ..kittens.  To add to it, the titles of her work are amazing.  She takes our associations with place, time, or face and flips them over. Whether its a self-portrait set in 1916, a portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio labeled as a prince,  or giving a house personality.  She blends mass media with the personal, historical, and fantastical leaving viewers to question their own visual semiotics and personal feelings.   Needless to say, I am in art-love with her.

Surf & Turf, Belgian Cats on the Northern Coast of Belgium -Karen Kilimnik, 1996

"Castle Salzburg" 1999, "Prince Albrecht at Home at the Castle on School Break" 1998, "Vampires, Black Forest". 1999

On top of that…she does badass installations.  She does some that are totally what I’d love to do for the full body of Gossip Girl work that I have brewing in my head.  Like..I think she actually painted a painting I wanted to paint, and displayed it how I wanted to display it..before I knew any of this information.

Me in Russia, 1916, Outside the Village -Karen Kilimnik

Installation view of "Me in Russia" at 303 Gallery. 1999

Her “Diana” pieces touch on much of what I am interested in with Jackie and Marilyn.  Once again I am like ‘dang…she gets it. and did IT!”

Lady Diana Spencer at the Royal Opera House. 1999.

I went to her show at 303 Gallery in New York that was up recently.  I was blown away by having such a kindred at art spirit.  I think I saw her in the gallery, but I got to scared to talk to her. I felt….aware of all the work I need to do….instead of taking it as an opportunity to talk with someone I admire. I hope to cross paths with her again, I think she’s officially got a lifelong fan from me.  I hope to at some point cross paths with her for real this time, via digitally or in person. Artlove.

“Make It Together” @ The Distillery Gallery – 516 East 2nd Street, South Boston

August 25 – September 27, 2011

Opening Reception: August 25, 7-9pm

The premise of this show is collaborative works of art. I am collaborating with friend and fellow awesome painter Cassandra Long.   Check it out! There’s currently a blurb in the Boston Phoenix about it.  More information can be found at The Distillery Gallery.

Here is a sneak peak at one of the paintings Casey and I are working on…

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Flux Offline @ Voltage Coffee & Art- 9/9 – 10/14   – 295 3rd Street, Cambridge MA

Opening Reception 9/9 , 7-10pm

A great exhibition put on by a great Boston Arts Blog, Flux Boston and an awesome coffee shop & gallery, Voltage.  The exhibition is a group of up and coming Boston area artists…including a fellow studio 11 roommate, Nick Ward.  I am honored to be part of the exhibition. I am however, sadly unable to attend the opening…therefore you should all go in my place.

More information can be found on Flux’s Site

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"Cary ('s) Remains". 36x24. Acrylic on Canvas.

This piece is from my college thesis work and was an exciting step that lead towards my current work.  The premise of thesis was on the relationship of mortality through real life and through the lense of media, in particular..Old Hollywood. I focused on a small circle of Old Hollywood icons..Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Cary Grant, and Marilyn Monroe (much to my chagrin at the time).

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Judy Garland had a very public walk towards death.  We heard about her overdoses, we saw her weight dramatically and
unheathily fluctuate, and of course saw her publicly be high and drunk continuously.  Towards the end of her life, the public sadly saw Judy Garland slink towards death much like Amy Winehouse recently.

In 1974, Joan Crawford ever the control freak that she was, after seeing an unflattering photo of herself vowed to never be publicly photographed again. “If that’s how I look, then they won’t see me anymore.”  She cancelled all interviews, public appearances, and rarely left her apartment.  Joan Crawford died 3 years later in her apartment.

Portrait of Joan Crawford by Eve Arnold

Marilyn Monroe…in short..a death the public still can’t seem to wrap itself around or resolve the tragedy, the person, the impact, and the iconography.

Marilyn in Something's Got to Give 1962. She died before completing the film.

Now Cary Grant.  There is nothing mortal, tragic, or temporal about Cary Grant.  He was able to so fully control his

 universal yet mysterious image and persona that any actual physical deterioration is the last thing we think of when we think of Cary Grant.  There’s the classic quote of his “Everyone wants to be Cary Grant, even I want to be Cary Grant”.

Cary Grant so beautifully crafted and managed Cary Grant..that it’s as if he didn’t die..but just left this dashing debonair mold of everyone’s favorite suave, stylish, smart, and endearing man.  We didn’t see him struggle or fall victim to the media.  He kept his upper hand maintaining control and mystery over his personal self.   We only saw his charm and timelessness.    This is the premise behind “Cary(‘s) Remains.

Cary Grant by Allan Warren

“I pretended to be somebody until I finally became that person. Or he became me”-Cary Grant

Spoiler Alert II (Marissa Cooper Dies) . Acrylic on 18x24. Acrylic on Panel. 2011