The good, the bad, and the beautiful

She was sexy, talented, mysterious, and tragic. But Marilyn Munroe was also a woman of flesh and blood, now brought back to life in two exhibits and several multi-media performances at the Glenbow Museum. A spectacular VIP opening to the collection was held on the 2cd floor of the museum recently, where guests sipped champagne and nibbled on delectable hors d’oeuvres. It was a flashy affair for a world-class exhibition.

Among those in attendance were Olympic medalist Mark Tewksbury, owner of Axis Contemporary Art Gallery Rob Mabee, prominent businessman Harold Milavsky, political scientist Dr. Donald Barry, economist Dr. V. Nallainayagam, artist Chris Cran, Deputy Premiere of Alberta Ron Stevens, and actress Chester Lees, who plays the sixties starlet in a production called Memoirs of a Glamour Girl, showing until February 19 at the Glenbow. President of the Glenbow Museum, Jeffrey Spalding, who was recently awarded the Order of Canada for “his contributions as a champion of Canadian artists”, was also there.

The evening began with guests milling around platters of antipasto, artichoke dips, and hot samosas. Bartenders were poised at each end of the crescent shaped room, complimentary drinks at the ready. Party chatter ranged from the recent proroguing of Parliament to the Glenbow’s reinvigorated exhibit schedule. After a good bit of mixing and mingling, resident art curator Monique Westra gave a guided tour of the exhibits.

The larger exhibit is Marilyn Munroe: Life as a Legend, a collection of over 300 photographs and paintings, including Andy Warhol’s famous silk-screens. We see her stunning beauty, but also a reflection of her voyeuristic audience. Here she is as we want her to be - a perfectly lovely and iconic figure, made even more desirable by her transition from mere mortal Norma Jean to a celebrity stubbornly out of reach. The exhibit has travelled throughout Europe and the United States, and was originally assembled in Hamburg, Germany.

On the other end of the room is Some Like It Haute: The Costumes of Marilyn Munroe. Her most famous gowns hang on adolescent-sized mannequins, giving semblance to her famous 22-inch waist but failing to replicate her generous curves. Here one gets the sense of her physical presence, and the world in which she lived. While the context is important, particularly for those interested in the 1950’s and 60’s (a series of photographs called “Happy Birthday Mr. President” brings that famous performance, and her relationship to Kennedy, dramatically into the room), we also get the sense that she is timeless.

She symbolizes “the good, the bad, and the beautiful” in our society, says Ken Lima-Coelho, “This is a show about how an iconic person was constructed and how she been de-constructed ever since.”

Monique Westra will give another guided tour of the collections on February 5, and an exclusive art auction called mARTinis with Marilyn is scheduled for February 18. Rare photographs of Marilyn Munroe (clad only in a silk sheet), taken by Canadian Douglas Kirkland, were also on display and for sale at AXIS gallery.

Published in National Post, January 10 2009