ChicpeaJC had the privilege of attending the press conference for Mana Contemporary’s newest exhibition, Marilyn: Character Not Image, curated by Whoopi Goldberg.

In a room with walls completely covered in a golden color, said to represent what we all think of Marilyn and the idea that she is the golden standard, the exhibition features various distorted black-and-white photos by Weegee. Whoopi explains these distortions as the representation of how Marilyn saw herself as well as what women have done to get that glamour.

There are drawings by Marilyn herself, featuring words written on each page, as well as rooms in the exhibition. Accompanying videos (courtesy of Archiveimages.com, Joshua Greene, and Anna Strasberg estate) are personal notes and poems read aloud, which President of Mana Contemporary Eugene Lemay described as his favorite aspect of the exhibition.

Featuring her iconic dress from her Happy Birthday performance for John F. Kennedy, never-before-seen photos taken by Milton Greene, and videos representing her as the woman rather than the glamorized star, Marilyn: Character Not Image is a must-see exhibition to get to know a different side of Marilyn Monroe.

This exhibition is meant to represent that we exist in the same plane as performers, as actors. No one could have explained it better than Whoopi –

“They have real selves, inner thoughts. When we see them in movies, they’re real people, not just images. She didn’t get that from audiences and fans. This is to remind people that they hurt and laugh. We’re all on the same boat.”

Marilyn: Character Not Image will be available to the public on September 25th from 1PM to 9PM, and will continue until October 22nd. You can find more details on their site.