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.

Andy Warhol born Andrew Warhola; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film, and sculpture. Some of his best known works include the silkscreen paintings Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) and Marilyn Diptych (1962), the experimental films Empire (1964) and Chelsea Girls (1966), and the multimedia events known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966–67).

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Warhol initially pursued a successful career as a commercial illustrator. After exhibiting his work in several galleries in the late 1950s, he began to receive recognition as an influential and controversial artist. His New York studio, The Factory, became a well-known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy patrons. He promoted a collection of personalities known as Warhol superstars, and is credited with inspiring the widely used expression “15 minutes of fame”. In the late 1960s he managed and produced the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground and founded Interview magazine. He authored numerous books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol and The Popism: The Warhol Sixties. He lived openly as a gay man before the gay-liberation movement. In June 1968, he was almost killed by radical feminist Valerie Solanas who shot him inside his studio.

Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films. The Andy Warhol Museum in his native city of Pittsburgh, which holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives, is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist. Many of his creations are very collectible and highly valuable. The highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is US$105 million for a 1963 canvas titled Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster); his works include some of the most expensive painting ever sold. A 2009 article in The Economist described Warhol as the “bellwether of the art market”.

Bert Stern was born in New York in 1929. He developed a passion for photography at a very young age and decided to study all the secrets of this enchanting world on his own. Soon after taking up a self taught photography course, Stern became extremely professional at the art of photography that in 1946 he was assigned the role of assistant to art director Hershel Bramson at Look magazine. In 1949 he proceeded further along in his career by becoming art direct at Mayfair magazine, which he worked for almost 3 years, before he decided to move on and joining Bramson in a whole new exciting project. In fact, the two art directors worked together at L.C. Gumbiner advertising agency, where they basically had the ability to create the modern and well-known advertising photograph.

BERT STERN’S PHOTOGRAPHY
Bert Stern started his incredible career in the photography and advertising industry in the 1950s during which he saw his fame skyrocket after he shot an ad campaign for Smirnoff Vodka, which represents a pyramid in Giza, Egypt photographed at daybreak with a V shaped glass full of vodka set in the front of a Great Pyramid which sits in the background. This campaign shot young Stern to unprecedented fame both in the advertising industry and in the fashion world. He became known as the fashion icons’ trusted and beloved photographer, admired by most fellow co-workers and loved by many of the subjects he shot.

THE LAST SITTING
Throughout his career, Bert Stern shot high profile people such as Elisabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy, Iman to name a few. However, his most intense and artful project was shooting famous and beautiful actress Marilyn Monroe. In 1962, Stern was commissioned by Vogue to shoot 2,500 pictures of Marilyn Monroe. Even if the actress was several hours late to the first of the three sessions of the photo shoot, Stern made sure to let her find 1952 Dom Perignon, music of Frank Sinatra in the background and of course clothes sent by Vogue. Stern remembers the shoot as the most intense and passionate of his career as he, like many other men at that time, was madly in love with Monroe. Stern published a book titled The Last Sitting in 1982 full of pictures from this photo shoot, including the ones Marilyn Monroe had decided not to keep. The title is due to the sudden death of the actress only 6 weeks after Stern immortalized her with in his photos.

George Barris was born in Manhattan, New York City, in 1922. One day, his older brother gave him a box camera and little Barris was immediately caught by the magic of taking photos, a love that will be long lasting and will turn out to become a fruitful career that will bring him to fame and stardom. He soon received a folding camera with which he would take pictures of his school mates and places he would go to and he soon became known as the child with the camera. He also realized that it was possible to earn money by taking pictures. In fact, his career as a paid photographer began when his family and friends would hire him to take pictures at parties and church events. He also caught the attention of editors of local newspapers and magazines with his incredible innate talent that they told him the best and quickest way to make money was to pitch them ideas and stories for which he could take pictures.

GEORGE BARRIS RISES TO FAME
When the Second World War broke out, Barris decided to enlist in the army as their official photographer. He was assigned to take pictures of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s victory homecoming celebration. His photos impressed the General so much that he decided to give Barris a photo album with his signature on it so he could put all of his favorite pictures in it. Soon afterwards, Barris became very popular among newspaper and magazine editors who sent him everywhere in world to cover stories and news. He soon became famous also in Hollywood where he went to work. Barris had the opportunity to take photos of many movie stars such as Steve McQueen, Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, and Frank Sinatra. However, his favorite subject he loved to photograph soon became Marilyn Monroe, the most beloved actress at the time.

GEORGE BARRIS AND MARILYN MONROE
Photographer George Barris first had the opportunity to meet famous actress Marilyn Monroe in 1954 in New York City. She was then working on the set of Seven Year Itch and Barris was there, among many other photographers, to shoot the famous scene where Marilyn Monroe is wearing a white dress which is blown up by a sudden wind coming from the underneath railway. It then began an undeniable friendship which lasted until the day of her death. In fact, Barris was the very last photographer to shoot pictures of the actress and the two spoke on the phone not even 24 hours before she mysteriously passed away.

BORN  1960  Sheffield, England

STUDIES

Self-taught

Background

David Bromley immigrated to Australia with his family in 1964.

Bromley emerged as a painter in the mid 1980s. In the early stages of his career, he held solo exhibitions in Sydney and Adelaide and represented works in state and regional galleries, to include finalist in the Archibald Prize, AGNSW, in 1999, 2001 and 2004.

In his practice, David Bromley has developed themes for two distinct and unique styles of painting; the female portrait and the children’s series.

In the works based on children, impressions of the joy and innocence of childhood are ever-present. The compositions are reminiscent of bygone days and loaded with toys, pets and adventure. As seen in recent paintings of summers by the sea, the artist reveals a playful inquisitiveness that provokes fond memories of youth.

In the portrait series, Bromley explores the female form. Commonly, the paintings are life size poses, whether provocative or demure, of models from fashion and film. The portraits are commanding and seductive, the females attractive and bare breasted.

However diverse in his subject matter, Bromley’s work is enduringly figurative, daringly coloured and executed with a graphic intention reminiscent of Warhol’s Pop Art from the 1960s. This can be seen in the layering of high key colour, graphic brushwork and gold and silver leaf. Bromley states that he is inspired by Warhol’s work, ‘in particular his portraiture and figurative work’.

In the past five years, his work has achieved a global identity with major exhibitions held throughout Australia, Asia, Europe and the USA.

Works by David Bromley are represented in collections in Australia to include; Artbank, Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Primarily a figurative painter, Bromley explores two distinct themes – Images of children and the female nude. His youthful explorations can be traced to 1950’s children’s book illustrations. These works pointedly explore the innocence of youth and the adventure, exploration and imagination. Bromley infuses these colourful works with a painterly style and unexpected metallic backdrops in gold and silver leaf. An avid collector of vintage objects, Bromley’s studio is a treasure trove of inspiration for the nostalgic imagery he employs.

Bromley’s admiration for Pop Art has played a significant role in shaping his work. He credits Warhol as an early influence demonstrated in his reductive colours, graphic style and the simplified forms of his nudes. His stunning nudes are often accompanied by floating flowers or butterflies alluding to fertility and beauty. In an unconventional gesture, Bromley rolls stripes of paint through the figures – infusing an unexpected abstract layer to these intriguing forms.

Over the past 20 years Bromley’s work has fostered widespread acclaim and notoriety in Australia and Internationally. He has exhibited on nearly every continent including Asia, Europe, Africa and America.

Bromley’s work maintains a universal appeal by tapping into the collective memory of youth and the wonder of human existence.

David became recognised in his early twenties exhibiting throughout Australia.

Since then, he has emerged as one of the most recognisable and innovative artists in Australia.

His influences although rooted in 1950’s culture – are as distinct as his styles.

SOLO EXHIBITION

2014 Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
2013 Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Canberra
2012 Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Newcastle
Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide
Gullotti & amp; Murano Gallery, Perth
Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
Everard Read, Cape Town
Everard Read, Johannesburg
2011 Gallery One, Gold Coast
Rebecca Hossack, New York
Rebecca Hossack, London
Cat St Gallery, Hong Kong
2010 Ode to Art, Singapore
Rarity Gallery, Mykonos
Degawa Hirasaku, Tokyo
Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
2009 Degawa Hirosaku, Osaka
Suzanne Zander Gallery, Koln
2008 Degawa Hirosaku, Japan
Rebecca Hossack, London
Tim Olsen, Sydney
Jan Murphy, Brisbane
Scott Livesey, Melbourne
2007 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
2006 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Hill – Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
2005 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, Adelaide
Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Obsession Gallery, Japan
Rice Polak Gallery, Massachusetts, USA
2004 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Obsession Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Kagoshima, Japan
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
2003 Obsession Gallery, Tokyo & Kyoto, Japan
Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
Perth Galleries, Perth
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Susanne Zander Galerie, Koln Germany
Hill-Smith Fine Art, Adelaide
2002 Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Chapman Gallery, Canberra
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
2001 Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Hill-Smith Fine Art, Adelaide
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2000 Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
Atelier de Cyrille Varet – Viaduc des Arts, Paris
Perth Galleries, Perth
1999 Hill-Smith Fine Art, Adelaide
Chapman Gallery, Canberra
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
1998 Perth Galleries, Perth
Kozminski Galleries, Melbourne
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
1997 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide
1996 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Grand Orbit Artspace, Brisbane
Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
1995 Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
1994 Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
1993 Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
Victor Mace Gallery, Brisbane
1992 Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
1991 Coventry Gallery, Sydney
1990 BMG Gallery, Adelaide
1989 Coventry Gallery, Sydney

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012 Apada Arts & Antique Fair (18 – 23 September)
20/21 British Art Fair (12 – 16 September)
Art Melbourne (25-27 May)
The Affordable Art Fair South London (14-18 March)
2011 The Affordable Art Fair Singapore (18 – 20 November)
Art Toronto (28- 31 October)
The Affordable Art Fair North London (27 – 30 October)
Art London (6-10 October)
The Affordable Art Fair New York (22-25 September)
20/21 British Art Fair (14 – 18 September)
Art Melbourne (19 – 22 May 2011)
The Affordable Art Fair New York (5 – 8 May)
The London Original Print Fair (22-19 April)
The Affordable Art Fair (10 – 13 March)
London Art Fair (19 – 23 January)
2010 Art Sydney (11 – 14 November)
Art Toronto (28 – 1 November)
The Affordable Art Fair (21 – 24 October)
Art London (7 – 11 October)
The Affordable Art Fair New York (29 September – 3 October)
20/21 British Art Fair (15 – 19 September)
Utrecht Open Art Fair (8 – 12 September)
Art Hamptons – The International Fine Art Fair (8 – 11 July)
The Henley Festival (7 – 11 July)
San Francisco Fine Art Fair (21 – 23 May)
AAF New York (6 – 9 May)
London Original Print Fair (29 April – 2 May)
Glasgow Art Fair (25 – 28 March)
AAF Spring (11 – 14 March)
Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show (12 – 16 February)
Affordable Art Fair Brussels (4 – 8 February)
LA Art Show (20 – 24 January)
London Art Fair 2010 (13 – 17 January)
2009 Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam (29 October – 1 November)
Toronto Art Fair (22 – 26 October)
Affordable Art Fair – Autumn Collection (22 – 25 October)
Art London (6 – 13 October)
20/21 British Art Fair (16 – 20 September)
Open Art Fair (6 – 13 October)
Art Hamptons (10 – 12 July)
Henley Festival (8 – 12 July)
AAF Paris (4 – 7 July)
Affordable Art Fair New York (7 – 10 May)
Glasgow Art Fair (23 – 26 April)
London Original Print Fair (22 – 26 April)
AAF Spring Collection 2009 (12 – 15 March)
20/21 International Art Fair (19 – 22 February)
AAF Brussels (12 – 15 February)
Watercolour and Drawings Fair (4 – 8 February)
Los Angeles Art Show (21 – 25 January)
Palm Beach (January)
London Art Fair (13 – 18 January)
2008 Art Miami (3 – 7 December)
Edinburgh Art Fair (21 – 23 November)
Art Ireland (14 – 16 November)
The Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam (29 October – 2 November)
The Affordable Art Fair London (23 – 26 October)
Art London (2 – 6 October)
Toronto Art Fair (2 – 6 October)
Dublin Art Fair (11 – 14 September)
20/21 British Art Fair (10 – 14 September)
Art Santa Fe (10 – 13 July)
The Henley Festival (9 – 13 July)
The Affordable Art Fair, New York (12 – 15 June)
Art Moscow (14 – 18 May)
The London Original Print Fair (23 – 27 April)
Glasgow Art Fair (27 – 30 March)
The Affordable Art Fair (13 – 16 March)
2006 The Grand Opening, Scott Livesey Gallery, Melbourne
New York AAF, USA
Art Miami, USA
Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
Zaishu Show, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2005 Art Palm Beach, USA
Art London, UK
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Rice Polak Gallery, Massachusetts, USA
Salon de Refuse (ARCHIBALD),SH Erwin Gallery, Sydney
Art Glasgow, Scotland
2004 Toronto International Art Fair, Canada
New York AAF, USA
Art Koln, Germany
Art LONDON Art Fair, London
Art Palm Beach, USA
Finalist in the Archibald Prize (McLean Edwards), AGNSW
Glasgow Art Fair, Scotland
2003 Art Miami, USA
Art Palm Beach, USA
Art London, UK
Alchemy, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Alchemy, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2002 The Outsider Art Fair, Marion Harris, New York
4 x 4, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
Australian Visions, Bunkamura Gallery, Tokyo
Art LONDON Art Fair, London
Finalist in the Archibald Prize (Charles Blackman), AGNSW
Winter Artists x 12, Perth Galleries, Perth, Western Australia
Bristol Art Fair, UK
20/21 Century British Art Fair
2001 Modern Living Art, Mitsukoshi, Tokyo
Finalist in the Archibald Prize (Long Tom Tjapanangka), AGNSW
Artists Supporting Animal Preservation, Sydney
Art LONDON Art Fair, London
2000 Three Men in a Boat, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
Finalist in the Archibald Sporting Portrait Prize, AGNSW
Affair to Remember, Australian High Commission, S ingapore
Ten Australian Artists, Nicola Townsend Art Dealer, Tokyo
Finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize
Art LONDON Art Fair, London
1999 Finalist in the Archibald Prize, AGNSW
Salon de Refuse (ARCHIBALD), SH Erwin Gallery, Sydney
1989 Selected Survey, Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa
1997 Salon de Refuse (ARCHIBALD), SH Erwin Gallery, Sydney
1996 Salon de Refuse (WYNNE), SH Erwin Gallery, Sydney
1994 Finalist in Moet & Chandon Award Sport, Artspace, Adelaide
20 Artists / 20 Years, Coventry Gallery, Sydney
1993 Winner – Fisher Ghost Award, New South Wales
Finalist in Moet & Chandon Award
Chandler Coventry: A Private Collection, Campbelltown City Art Gallery
Victor Mace Gallery, Brisbane
1992 Dick Bett Gallery, Hobart
Coventry Gallery, Sydney
1991 New Art Five, Coventry Gallery, Sydney
1990 BMG Gallery, Adelaide
Coventry Gallery, Sydney

AWARDS

Finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize 6 times.

COLLECTIONS

Allen, Allen & Hemsley, Sydney; Annelie Brunsten Gallery,
Germany; Artbank, Australia; Art Gallery of South Australia; Art
Gallery of Western Australia; Baker & McKenzie, Sydney;
Campbelltown City Art Gallery; CCT Internet Travel, Brisbane;
Derwent Collection, Hobart; De Pasquale Advertising, Brisbane;
Derwent Collection, Hobart; Flinders University, South Australia;
Gadens Ridgeway, Sydney; Gold Coast City Art Gallery; Marsdens,
Sydney; National Gallery of Victoria; Northern Territory Art
Museum; Optus, Brisbane; Pan Continental Mining; Radisson
Playford, Adelaide; Red Ochre Restaurant, Adelaide; St Peter’s
College, Adelaide; Tamar Collection, Hobart; Taxation Department,
Melbourne; Tiffins on the Park, Adelaide; University of the
Northern Territory; University of Southern Qld

PUBLICATIONS

2012 Taschen World Interiors (6 page spread)
Grund Genug, Germany
Urbis, New Zealand
Marie Claire, Australia
House & Garden, Australia
Scoop, Australia
2011 Elle, Italy
IDEAT, France
2010 Vogue Magazine, Germany
Linda Magazine, Holland
Harpers Bazaar (Cover)
Elle Décoration, UK 2010
2009 Elle, Italy
2008 Elle Decoration, France
Art Monthly
Vogue Living, Australia
2007 Inside Out
2006 New York Times
Art Monthly

Laszlo Willinger was born in Hungary in 1909. He grew up surrounded by art and photography as his mother was a professional photographer who shared her passion with her son at a very early age. Willinger learnt everything he knew about the art of photography from his mother and in 1929 he decided to move to Paris and then Berlin where he worked as a freelance photographer for many newspapers and magazines. Following Hitler’s rise to political power, Willinger moved to Vienna where he had the chance to take photos of already famous people, among which Sigmund Freud.

LASZLO WILLINGER’S CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD
Laszlo Willinger soon decided to move to Hollywood where he successfully established a studio. He was one of the very first photographers who decided to separate himself from black and white photos and had the courage to experiment with color, which turned out to be a winning and selling point in his career. In fact, he soon reached fame and prestige as the photographer of Hollywood movie stars. His close-ups of golden ear movie stars like Clark Gable, Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire became widely popular and well-known all over the world. However, his most intricate and heartfelt work was his photo sessions with Marilyn Monroe whom he had to chance to meet and photograph ever since her starting career as a model and when she was still known as Norma Jeane.

LASZLO WILLINGER’S LATE YEARS AND ACCUSATIONS
Unlike many other men of his time, however, Willinger was not particularly attracted by the beautiful and famous Marilyn Monroe and was not afraid to let it be known, even after Norma Jeane rose to fame and popularity. His dislike for beauty icon Marilyn Monroe was probably due to his never openly declared homosexuality which later in life caused him quite a few troubles. In fact, he faced accusations of stalking male Hollywood actors such as Charlie Chaplin. Not being able to morally face the accusations, he decided to commit suicide.