4-4 Project Part One - Rough Draft
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Arts Humanities
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Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by BrigadierKuduMaster186
Exploration Document Draft
Jessica Sizemore
Southern New Hampshire University
HUM200: Applied Humanities
Allison Keane
November 28, 2022
1
Exploration Document Draft
Cultural Artifacts
My first cultural artifact is a piece of artwork entitled “Gold Marilyn” painted by Andy Warhol in
1962. This piece is an image of Marilyn Monroe, painted soon after the celebrity’s death. This
painting represents fame, identity, spirituality and loss. The portrait is made with silkscreen ink
on synthetic polymer painted on canvas. My second cultural artifact is a photo entitled “Untitled
Film Still #56” taken by photographer Cindy Sherman in 1980. This photo is a self portrait in a
series of photographs that project the flexibility of a woman’s image, stereotypes and cliché
identities.
Common Theme
The common theme shared by both works is a woman’s identity. In Warhol’s “Gold Marilyn,”
Marilyn’s portrait is in front of a gold background, symbolizing power and status. This style of
art almost seems like a religious altar or respect to a certain deity. This shows the fascination and
obsession that the current social climate has with celebrities. The fact the Monroe committed
suicide only a few weeks prior to this piece being made is also a main focal point of the common
themes. Although Monroe was seen as a sex symbol and successful actress, she was also facing
serious challenges. In Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled Film Still #56,” she portrays various female
roles that are deeply engrained in our cultural history. Like “Gold Marilyn,” this photograph
challenges your perspective on beauty, identity and the standards women are expected to meet.
Personal Experience
The theme of identity is connected to my personal experience because I have also faced the
challenges of meeting certain standards as a woman. These artworks symbolize the struggle and
the fight women go through to attempt to obtain these beauty standards.
2
Profession
Professionally, I have seen several incidences where female stereotypes are cast on employees
within my company. There are certain standards that women are held to in certain offices as well
as expectations for responsibilities. A general understanding of humanities can allow for us to
rethink what we know and question what we can do differently.
Humanities Resources
1. This resource discusses the life and death of Marilyn Monroe and discusses the challenges she
faced in her lifetime that influenced millions of people. I enjoyed this resource because it
provides a little more background information about Marilyn Monroe, which can help me when
analyzing Warhol's "Gold Marilyn."2. This resource highlights quickly the background and
narrative of this photograph. Although there are little resources for this series, I enjoyed this one
because it captures the essence of the time period when these photographs were released. 3. This
resource explains the popularity of the series "Untitled Film Stills" and how it got to be so well
known. They also describe the background history of the photographer and the events
surrounding these photos.
Historical Context
The historical context for "Gold Marilyn" by Andy Warhol portrays the essence and beauty of
Monroe before she committed suicide a few weeks prior. This event struck the whole country
with grief and confusion. This piece symbolizes the love we have for being beautiful and
admired, but also feeling alone and isolated. The historical context for Cindy Sherman's
"Untitled Film Stills series" shows the challenges women faced during the 80s. The irony of
fitting into the social norm that is the stereotypical "house mom" had enlightened thousands of
women across the world.
3
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Similarities and Differences
Both pieces of work include female roles and portraits of powerful women with a hint of
sadness. Monroe is seen in front of a beautiful golden background with bright color pops
throughout the photo, but the historical background tells you that there is a different story being
told. Similarly, Sherman shows the power of women in diverse identities, portraying different
stories but similar themes. Women are powerful, yet seem to weaken when facing stereotypes.
The differences between the works is that "Gold Marilyn" portrays a woman fighting for
admiration, while "Untitled Film Still" seems to be fighting for individuality and breaking free of
stereotypes. "Golden Marilyn functions as a work of mourning for another white working class
kid ground up in the American cultural system” (Pollock, 2017). In other words, "Gold Marilyn"
shows a story of rich, fame and privilege while "Untitled Film Still" shows the working class
women fighting for individuality
Medium
Andy Warhol's "Gold Marilyn" is used with silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas.
This medium provides a pop of color to the work of art, giving it a different element of emotion.
Cindy Sherman's "Untitled Film Still #56" is just an ordinary photograph. I think this medium
conveys such a realistic, intimate experience for the piece of art.
Thesis Statement
Andy Warhol's "Gold Marilyn" and Cindy Sherman's "Untitled Film Still #56" reflect the
intimate details that surround a woman's identity.
Audience
4
My ideal audience would be a male that is uneducated in humanities and the events that surround
Monroe's death and Sherman's statement of female stereotypes. I would like for my audience to
understand the artwork from an unbiased, clean state of mind.
Message
I will adjust my presentation for my ideal audience to cater to their learning styles. There are
certain presentations that can influence a male to consider a perspective closely. PowerPoints or
presentations with many photos may be more suitable for my audience. This way, they can
visibly see how to analyze these artworks.
5
References
Pollock, G. (2017). The missing wit(h)ness: Monroe, fascinance and the unguarded intimacy of
being dead.
Journal of Visual Art Practice
,
16
(3), 265–296. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1080/14702029.2017.1384912
Cindy Sherman: the Complete Untitled Film Stills. (2003, December 22).
Publishers Weekly
,
250
(51).
Heiferman, M. (1997). In Front of the Camera, Behind the Scene: Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled
Film Stills.”
MoMA
,
25
, 16–19.
6
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