The Only Blonde in the World 1963

Pauline Boty’s painting, The Only Blonde in the World, is a juicy combo of green and blue, punctuated by red and tan shapes. Imagine Boty stepping back, tilting her head, adding a dab of juicy colour, then maybe scraping it off, only to add more. There's something about the green background that feels like a stage, as if Marilyn is forever walking in front of a theatrical backdrop. The red shapes almost vibrate, echoing the movement of Marilyn's figure. I feel like Boty is having a dialogue with painters like Warhol or Lichtenstein, but she’s making the language of pop her own. There’s something really fresh about the way she’s using the paint; thin in some places, thicker in others. It’s a little rough around the edges. Painters are always in conversation with one another, picking up on each other's gestures, colours and shapes and making them their own. And that’s what Boty did, she made painting feel alive.