Let me take you back…picture it, Brisbane, 2008. A young boy studying Visual Journalism is eating lunch in Queen Street Mall, probably Hungry Jacks, which was the style of the time. Anyway, amongst the sea of Emos (if you know Brisbane, you know this is where they flock), he spots a woman in the street dressed like Marilyn Monroe. He had seen her around before, and had known that she wasn’t of completely sound mind, but found her fascinating nonetheless. He then looked at the Emos and they were all snickering and pointing at her. Well that was it…he was annoyed.
In the words of Sophia Petrillo, that girl was me…except I was the boy; I just appreciate my constant allusions to the Golden Girls. Anyway, the Emos really annoyed me. In my view from behind the Bacon Deluxe meal with Onion rings instead of Fries, they were laughing at a woman for doing the exact same thing as them…wearing a mask. In essence dressing like an Emo…all the same, to show society how individual and emotional you are is putting on a mask. How is dressing and acting like Marilyn Monroe any different?
Over the course of three months I met with Marilyn, real name Diane, each week at Donut King in the Myer Centre. There we would talk for hours; most of the time she would talk and you felt like she was like everybody else, self conscious, neurotic, tired, happy, afraid, but getting on with it…and then other times she would tell you of her times singing at the opening of the Hilton in Paris. How much of what we spoke about was true, I don’t know, but the human aspect was so raw and relatable that I couldn’t let the story go untold.
She called herself Shy Di and explained to me on our third visit that she dressed as Marilyn everyday because she idolised her and that dressing like her made her feel confident enough to get out of bed and speak to people each day. How that is any different from putting on eyeliner to look like Pete Wentz, I will never know.
Anyway, let’s begin. I will include my rationale as I have only told part of her story, and some photos won't make sense without it. I hope, however, they paint a round enough picture of the person I grew know.
I admit these photos aren’t perfect…far from it, but neither is life, it’s all how we perceive it…and that, my friends, was the purpose of the story.
SHY DI
Benjamin Judd (1987 - )
shy: easily frightened away; timid
Judd’s collection of fifteen images entitled ‘Shy Di’ are a snapshot in a day of the life of a woman whose life blurs between reality and fantasy. The work endeavours to highlight the fantasy and reality within her life by juxtaposing the images she sees as her reality, the images that are her reality and the images that show her bridging these two worlds. It tells the real story of an iconic Brisbane woman that many people do not want to know.
Close up of Diane with Flash was selected to open the piece as it shows Diane, flaws and all. The flash was used to highlight who she really is by casting a harsh light on her appearance; there is no place to hide within the picture and gives the audience an ‘insurance’ style photo of the subject to give the opening impact.
Black & White of Diane on the stairs was selected to highlight to the audience who it is that Diane wants to be seen as. She stipulated throughout the shoots that she only be shot from that angle as it was her best side and how Marilyn used to pose. This photo begins to show who Diane from the first photo wants to be.
McChicken & Fries was selected, as it is Diane’s favourite meal to eat and stood out from our first meeting. This photo highlights the stark contrast within Diane’s life. The preceding photo was her fantasy, and this one, half eaten and devoured, is her reality of eating McDonald’s for unlimited coffee refills.
Application was selected to introduce the idea that Diane creates the image that we see and to an extent, that she sees. She said that she is addicted to putting on make-up as other people are to cigarettes.
Andy eye shadow was selected as the first of four flag posts to emphasise the construction of her image. The allusion to Andy Warhol is used to create a sense of mass production. Her life is yet another production of the many images of Marilyn that we see.
Styling fork was selected to show the absurd lengths that Diane goes to, to create her image. She uses this fork to give her hair volume; the ribbon is so that she knows not to eat with it.
Andy hair and mole is the second flag post to show the construction of Diane’s image. It shows another aspect of her that she changes to become Marilyn.
Close-up of makeup kit was chosen to highlight the disarray within her life. Diane’s life is created by her makeup, yet it is all just thrown in a bag with little care.
Andy lips is the third flag post to show the construction of Diane’s image. It shows yet another way that Diane carefully constructs whom she wants to be seen as.
Diane at Louis Vuitton was created to highlight where Diane wants her image to take her. The obviousness of the use of Photoshop was used to highlight the flaws in Diane’s dream. The photo highlights that she can only be there in her fantasy.
Andy complete is the fourth flag post showing the construction of Diane’s image. This image shows all the different parts that Diane changes to become Marilyn.
Marilyn at Tiffany was made to highlight where Diane believes her constructed image takes her. She gasps and giggles with an American accent whenever she talks about Tiffany, blurring the line from who she is to who she wants to be.
Sepia Diane was created to highlight the complete construction of Marilyn. The layers built over the entire image rather than just various parts of Diane was used to show that her entire life, not just her image is created…in her head, in her fantasy and in her reality. She is real, but to what extent?
Glamorous was selected to show the real Diane compared to the constructed Diane. The juxtaposition of this and the preceding show the difference between Diane’s reality and fantasy.
Blurred Marilyn giggling was selected to finish the piece as it shows that what Diane sees as reality and fantasy is actually the same thing but at the same time nothing, and therefore we can’t get a clear image of who Diane aka Shy Di aka Marilyn really is.
*I would like to thank my lovely friend, Kirsti Tenni, for helping me navigate through Photoshop and for creating images far superior to what I could do with a cutting tool
I love this article and this lady!
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