20100315

~Monday can be such a...

errr..... Drag?!
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Artist Yasumasa Morimura as himself
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... ~Everybody loves a dame and Mr. Yasumasa Morimura just loves to be one! In these series of self-portraits he 'slips' into the roles of silver screen legends, from Audrey Hepburn to Ingrid Bergman (and it doesn't stop there - he's also been art historical icons such as the Mona Lisa and Renoir's barmaid!). But Morimura is more than just Art's most famous drag queen. Dealing with issues of cultural and sexual appropriation he is constantly exploring ideas of image consumption, identity and desire: Can Brigitte Bardot be as innocently flirtatious with angular features? Would Marilyn Monroe be as sexy if she was Japanese - and a man? And where does the line lay between Garbo's neurotic reclusivity and the paranoid expression of the down right freaky? In his photos Morimura lives out his impossible dreams of being 'other', playing the role of Asian agent provocateur infiltrating Western collective consciousness: becoming the women most lusted after! ~hmmm? Really interesting I thought~ worth pondering some more...By the way, Question: Has it ever crossed your mind that 'Lenore' in LENORENEVERMORE could actually/possibly be a MAN in real life? ~hmmm???

PS: Hope everyone had a lovely weekend, I'll share my weekend 'Open House' photos soon okie ~till then Darlings!
~XOXO*
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-Source via The Saatchi Gallery

33 comments:

Leah said...

Hahaha! You got me thinking there sweetie. Well, if you are, then you are fabulous.

I love the works of this artist... he made himself look like the real deal. He's awesome.

Have a great day! xoxo

Charlotte said...

Answer, yes, everything has crossed my mind Lenore. Every possible person/combo. But there are some tiny giveaways. I am blessed with a cynical mind so whichever way, so be it.

Jan said...

Question:Is it just me - or does this guy look a bit like the actress Olympia Dukakis ? (in every shot)
Answer: (to YOUR question LNM) Anything is possible - this is the internet. :)
xxx

AJ at OFLBlog said...

How clever! and to answer your question: 'NO'! oxoxo AJ

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

Jan,
LOL...you are quite right~
Luv her in 'Moonstruck' with Cher!

Tracie said...

I never really thought about it.....Are you? I could be one, too, ya know.

Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese said...

"That's not your mother, it's a man, baby!" So sorry for the Austin Powers reference, but I'm far too sleepy to come up with anything clever to say this morning. Man or woman, I loves you either way.

Homemaker Man said...

Good post. And no, actually, I never thought you might be a man. Except in the light of the internet, where everyone could be someone they're not at any time. So I always *kind* of consider it for everyone. Has it ever crossed your mind that the Man in Homemaker Man is a woman?

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

Homemaker Man,
...hmmm???
need to do more research now!

Thank you everyone, you are so SWEET!
~xo

Sarah said...

Fantastic Monday morning post. I love it. Thank you!

SabinePsynopsis said...

Perfect Monday (man-dame) faces! Ha, since I realised that a very popular underwear blog (attracting lots of excited comments from females) was run by a man I don't trust ANYONE anymore...

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's because I'm still bleary and it's Monday, but I don't think I'd have known this was all the same gent if you hadn't pointed it out! Masterful work, I think.

Bob said...

there is a little Olympia Dukakis-itis happenin' up in there!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Pretty sure you aren't a dude from little peeks you've given us..but if you are..you're an awfully pretty fella!

Bumpkin on a Swing said...

I think the glory of all this debate is that we live in a time, where we can literally be anything we want to be.
Don't care if you are an ape, who screws little green martians, art is art, and Lenore is Lenore. Love you regardless.

WendyB said...

His Liza is amazing!

Laura Trevey said...

You are right!!

Christina said...

i don't care what you are, i think you're wonderful.
as for the art work, pretty thought provoking, especially for a monday morning!

Saving Capulet said...

nooo lenore sounds beautiful, sweet and SMART :3 sooo noo never crossed my mind it could be a man's lol

carolina @ patagonia gifts said...

oh lenore, are you? a man? well... love you either way! haha! great post. made all of us rack one's brain... xo

Angela said...

Clever! Btw, thanks for the lovely comment about the new layout. I thought spring should bring about spring fresh color. : )

Bathwater said...

You are not a man, but nice try.

Simply Colette said...

Cute Monday catch! Hope you had fun house hunting. I love it... :)

Gabby said...

Ha, someone above said it perfectly: "Anything is possible"! :)

Amy said...

holy crap! that guy is awesome! i knew it was a dude, though! haha!

happy monday, pretty lady!

drollgirl said...

very interesting post! i have to hand it to you young lady, or young man! :)

Anonymous said...

woah. this is seriously cool.

Kitty Stampede said...

these are sooo bizarre...i showed them to my husband and he briefly looked and them and said Stunning...bahahahaha...and than I scrolled down and showed him who it was and he pretended to pass out..and once he got a better look he could see that they were a little odd looking..not quite as stunning as the original ladies. ;)
i would love to do photoshoots like this...just pull off soo many different looks, so cool.

Mel said...

WOW these are amazing! I can't believe they're all him!

Sam said...

Interesting!!! I thought they looked a little "odd"! He certainly is the chameleon (pardon my dreadful spelling!).

Annie Spandex said...

Yep, I don't like Mondays

Frieda Babbley said...

Amazing. He did a fabulous job. I have to say there was marvellous care taken for these looks. Art certainly does come in many many forms.

pashmina said...

Interesting.... but always just a little bit odd! Then again, whatever makes him happy!