Simon Claridge

Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, Simon Claridge’s work captures the female form in all its splendour, with each piece meticulously considered and crafted to suspend time and evoke an emotional response; “My goal is to leave to the viewer some tangible emotional feeling”. Claridge has enjoyed many accolades in his career to date: he was commissioned by Alfa Romeo, created artwork on request for Henry Holland, Kate Moss, Rod Stewart, David Coulthard and a number of Premiership footballers. He also counts LA stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe among his collectors. More recently his collaborations with 20th Century Fox and Playboy have resulted in exquisite, critically acclaimed collections.

In 2014, linking with Twentieth Century Fox, acclaimed artist Claridge was granted access to Fox Studio’s coveted archives to reveal new images of Marilyn Monroe, and his subsequent silkscreen works have formed The Diamond Dust Collection – a celebration of one of the most iconic film stars of all time. The six interpretations were drawn from Marilyn’s most famous Fox movies; ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘I Just Want to be Wonderful’ as well as a prestigious and rare collection of photography stills, test shots and outtakes from her less familiar films like ‘Sounds Dreamy to Me’ and ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’.

Monroe has been immortalised in artistic practice for more than fifty years, but the handful of rare images Claridge has chosen from the film house’s extensive Marilyn memorabilia, have never before been translated into fine art.

Claridge’s The Diamond Dust Collection represents Marilyn in symbolic black and white, enveloped in what has now become his trademark ‘diamond dust’ as a nod to the glamour and opulence of Hollywood. Simon has used the glittering diamond dust on each image to ensure the works portray something of the aura of Marilyn and the luminescence of her being under the spotlight.