MORIMURA, Yasumasa

1997.62.JPG

Description

Animai-no-bi (Ambiguous Beauty)
1995
Paulownia, paper and ink
Yasumasa Morimura is an appropriation artist and has borrowed images from artists from Manet and Rembrandt to Cindy Sherman and Frida Kahlo as a way to explore issues of identity, gender, politics, and art history. For this work, Morimura photographed himself as Marilyn Monroe in her first Playboy pin-up, complete with wig and fake breasts. The reverse side of the fan shows the Japanese character for "love." The fan is packaged in a box made from Paulownia, a particular type of wood historically used by the Japanese for the presentation of formal fans.

Date

1995

Creator

MORIMURA, Yasumasa
b. Japan, 1951

Source

Norton Family Christmas Edition 5000

Identifier

1997.62a,b

Citation

MORIMURA, Yasumasa and b. Japan, 1951, “MORIMURA, Yasumasa,” UCSB ADA Museum Omeka, accessed December 22, 2024, http://art-collections.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/4706.