Marilyn Monroe (2017)

Vîrtosu’s paintings of women many adore, among which sexy and seductive Marilyn Monroe made quite an impression, do not embody the idea of ravishing fame and glitz as some would assume. Considering that this representation of the actress is done in the 21st century, it’s obvious that the painting carries an ominous, much darker undertone. The portrait with the blue background stands not only as a symbol of American cultural history, but also as a reminder of its obscure and brutal side.

In 2017, Vîrtosu embarked on what would be an increasingly significant category in his output, the portraits of ”Great World Personalities”. That year, he painted – in his studio in Belgravia – sixteen large paintings that demonstrate the advancement of his artistry. Although the title of the present work is ”Marilyn Monroe”, this forceful painting presents the iconic and tortured story of the actress.

Despite the fact that the centerpiece occupies a significant space in the painting and is brightly colored, the oil painting is imbued with a sad touch. The centerpiece is orange, interspersed with yellow, a light blue, silver egg-shell white with two minuscule strands of black. These colors seem to beam hope, innocence and confidence. The centerpiece is standing straight, suggesting confidence and, possibly, fame. When the gaze shifts to the right corner, we see a shape reminiscent of a crash. This leads one to think of Monroe’s life heading towards a crash. She is surrounded by an unsettling swirl of blue, with a discernible metal tone, appearing as if sinking into the vortex. The artist seems to suggest that Monroe had something demonic. Should we step away from the cult of celebrity which surrounds Monroe to this day and has catapulted her into the status of a Legend, one will find that she was somewhat demonic. She captured hearts at a glance, had the power of millions of adoring fans around the world behind her and married the powerful, who were drawn to her. Monroe never hunted for a man. From Mafia bosses to a sitting president, men were rendered weak and could not withstand the call of the mermaids. She was a gifted comedienne whom the camera adored, a luminous and magnetic screen presence. She had it all, yet her career and life came crashing to a tragic halt.

Vîrtosu’s painting here is unleashed and urgent, unencumbered by any stodgy deliberation or revision. The artist pours his fixation with mutilation, his indistinguishable preoccupation with drama and the history of twentieth-century. Mediated by the vicissitudes of biography, Monroe is an incredibly pioneering and unique work that marks the very formation of Vîrtosu’s painterly genius. Signaling the terrible and silent metamorphosis from inchoate bestiality towards the realization of nightmarish reality, with these works, Vîrtosu shifts from mythological creatures to portraits probing the depths of humanity.