© 1995, Yasumasa Morimura
On view
Photography
Aimai-no-bi (Ambiguous Beauty),
1995
Yasumasa Morimura 森村泰昌, born 1951 Osaka, Japan; active Osaka
1998-6
Morimura is known for substituting himself into iconic images of celebrities or famous works of art. Here, he recreates a 1949 photograph of Marilyn Monroe that notoriously appeared in the inaugural 1953 issue of Playboy magazine. Morimura mocks the tropes of pinup photography, presenting himself in a hyperfeminine but clearly artificial manner, with dramatic costume makeup and large prosthetic breasts. He printed this image on a fan in a humorous reference to the history of the fan as a tool for flirtation in Japanese culture. As the holder opens and closes the fan, they coyly allow the nude figure to appear and disappear at will.
Information
Title
Aimai-no-bi (Ambiguous Beauty)
Dates
1995
Maker
Medium
Photomechanical reproduction on paper and wood fan
Dimensions
29.3 × 50.1 × 2.5 cm (11 9/16 × 19 3/4 × 1 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift
Object Number
1998-6
Place Made
Asia, Japan
Inscription
Printed in ink, verso lower right: Morimura
Culture
Materials
Techniques
Subject
The artist; acquired by an anonymous donor, probably December 1995 [1]; given to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1998.
Notes:
[1]. Peter and Eileen Norton commissioned Yasumasa Morimura to create this limited edition in 1995, which was then sent out as a Christmas greeting. From 1988 to 2018, the Peter Norton Family Foundation commissioned one artist annually to produce an edition as part of the Peter Norton Family Christmas Art Projects.
