Sage Blue Marilyn Sells 4 Record Pimp Price?

As Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Monroe portrait sold for a record $195M at Christies, one wonders how the arguable symbol of abuse of women as mere sex symbols keeps growing in price.

Almost gleefully, the WSJ coverage says “the sale was a robust kick off to New York’s major spring auction.” Yet doesn’t the Kennedy-abused actress’s “portrait” remind anyone in the bluest of progressive blue cities of the irony reflected in Warhol’s glorified 3-ft-sq silk-screen as she appeared in the 1953 movie “Niagra”? Never before had any American artwork sold for so much at auction.

The WSJ suggests the artwork’s “notoriety” was due, not so much to gender hypocrisy as it did to artist Dorothy Podber pretending in 1964 to want to photograph a series of Warhol Marilyn paintings, including this “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn,” stacked against a wall in his studio. Warhol agreed, but “instead [of a photo shoot Podber] took out a gun and fired at the group of “Marilyn” works, damaging several but missing the “Sage Blue” target. Another irony: The damaged, then, repaired pieces also took off in price like all get out. Whatever. When I look into Marilyn’s bubble-gum-pink face, ruby lips and blue eye shadow set against a sage-blue background,” I can’t help but see a blue aka lost woman who doesn’t seem to know what she’s selling or what’s been sold to her.

Davd Soul