Back in 2001, working on the same issue that featured the portfolio entitled “Recreation” by Mitch Epstein, upon Jack Pierson’s recommendation came upon Marilyn Minter. We shot a few pictures of her image plastered SoHo loft/studio and selected images for our art feature. I remember explaining to Marilyn that I would like to place her paintings and inspiration photographs equally in the magazine and that they should really co-exist as a complete body of work. I felt really strongly about her photographs well beyond the context of the art world. The glamorous lushness and subversive seductive quality of her imagery seemed so fresh that it belonged unrestrictedly in the pages of consumer magazines and advertising campaigns. Knowing that Marilyn’s interest was in blurring the boundaries between fine art and commercial art, I asked her if she would consider exploiting her vision in the commercial arena. Marilyn’s response was “sure as long as they will let me use my model with her freckles”. We began to work closely together in stimulating this new direction and finding the clients that would bite. New York Times magazine saw the vision, but only took the risk as far as to commission a painting. A few months later I was working on producing the short lived Versace magazine, and had Marilyn shoot a beauty series with Devon Aoki. Aside from yielding a beautiful oversized portfolio, Marilyn began making paintings from these new images and created quite an association with Tracy Murphy, the makeup artist from this session. Marilyn—half playing the game—would continue to shoot on her own, adding jewelry and accessories. Eventually the dirty feet with colored nail polish became dirty feet in fabulous heels, glistening dew, and colorful shining toenails.

Little by little the photographs, once seen as a basis for paintings, have become considered equally powerful and often shown side by side with the paintings. About two years ago an additional push took place when Issue’s fashion director, John Vertin, began working for New York magazine and took charge of furthering Marilyn’s editorial photography.

Now in March 2006 Marilyn is shining as the star of this year’s Whitney biennial, with collectors wait-listed for her new paintings, gracing the pages of fashion magazines like a pro, and even plastered on billboards through New York’s Chelsea gallery district.







		Marilyn minter Explodes Back in 2001, working on the same issue that featured the portfolio entitled “Recreation” by Mitch Epstein, upon Jack Pierson’s recommendation came upon Marilyn Minter. We shot a few pictures of her image plastered SoHo loft/studio and selected images for our art feature. I remember explaining to Marilyn that I would like to place her paintings and inspiration photographs equally in the magazine and that they should really co-exist as a complete body of work. I felt really strongly about her photographs well beyond the context of the art world. The glamorous lushness and subversive seductive quality of her imagery seemed so fresh that it belonged unrestrictedly in the pages of consumer magazines and advertising campaigns. Knowing that Marilyn’s interest was in blurring the boundaries between fine art and commercial art, I asked her if she would consider exploiting her vision in the commercial arena. Marilyn’s response was “sure as long as they will let me use my model with her freckles”. We began to work closely together in stimulating this new direction and finding the clients that would bite. New York Times magazine saw the vision, but only took the risk as far as to commission a painting. A few months later I was working on producing the short lived Versace magazine, and had Marilyn shoot a beauty series with Devon Aoki. Aside from yielding a beautiful oversized portfolio, Marilyn began making paintings from these new images and created quite an association with Tracy Murphy, the makeup artist from this session. Marilyn—half playing the game—would continue to shoot on her own, adding jewelry and accessories. Eventually the dirty feet with colored nail polish became dirty feet in fabulous heels, glistening dew, and colorful shining toenails. Little by little the photographs, once seen as a basis for paintings, have become considered equally powerful and often shown side by side with the paintings. About two years ago an additional push took place when Issue’s fashion director, John Vertin, began working for New York magazine and took charge of furthering Marilyn’s editorial photography. Now in March 2006 Marilyn is shining as the star of this year’s Whitney biennial, with collectors wait-listed for her new paintings, gracing the pages of fashion magazines like a pro, and even plastered on billboards through New York’s Chelsea gallery district. — Jan-Willem Dikkers featured in Issue 9