Why do we idolise actors and musicians? How has the world of glamour and celebrity changed since the Sixties? This exhibition (until 24 November) hopes to answer these questions through a series of posters, objects and works of art that chart the representations of popular figures over the last 40 years. A major part of the show will be devoted to film stars. In particular, Marilyn Monroe, the eternally youthful symbol of Sixties glamour, has fascinated many artists, and her image is represented here in the work of Warhol, Pauline Boty and James Rosenquist. James Dean and Bridget Bardot are also examined. The section on pop stars looks at the fan culture built up around the music industry from Elvis to Madonna. Linda McCartney’s photographs of Jimi Hendrix (above) and Mick Jagger are displayed alongside Peter Blake’s “Homage to the Beach Boys”. The third section will look at the changes in the multi-billion dollar supermodel culture since the 1940s. Early pin-up collages by Eduardo Paolozzi invite comparison with Marlene Dumas’s pictures of Naomi Campbell, while Gary Hume’s images of “ideal beauty” address questions of physical perfection that have been central to art since the ancient Greeks.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'What's on: Pin-up'