Two major UK institutions are celebrating Marilyn Monroe as a creative pioneer this summer, marking the centenary of her birth. The British Film Institute (BFI) and the National Portrait Gallery are hosting exhibitions that aim to reframe the star as a sharp comic performer and savvy architect of her own image.
The BFI's season, running from 1 June to the end of July, will screen Monroe's most celebrated films across three strands: musicals and comedies, serious dramatic roles, and smaller but pivotal appearances. Curator Kimberley Sheehan described Monroe as 'the original triple threat' who deserves credit for crafting her own stardom.
Highlights include the re-release of The Misfits (1961), Monroe's final completed film, directed by John Huston and written by Arthur Miller. Sheehan noted that Monroe's cultural saturation often overshadows her work, and urged audiences to revisit the films to see 'the real human performer'.
At the National Portrait Gallery, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait runs from June to September, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty and Richard Avedon. The exhibition explores Monroe's role in constructing her own image and includes previously unseen photographs taken by Allan Grant the day before her death in 1962.
Monroe, born on 1 June 1926, remains one of the most photographed people in history. The exhibitions highlight her creative control, including directing photo shoots and vetoing images she disliked, challenging the studio system and becoming the first woman since the silent era to set up her own production company.
