Il volto e il fantasma. Andy Warhol e Marilyn Monroe

In this essay I propose to consider the transformation of the actress Marilyn Monroe into an icon of the Society of spectacle. The notion of «spectacle» will be analyzed according to the theoretical perspectives of Guy Debord. In particular, in the case of the American actress, we are considering the transformation of a living body into an image-fetish: an attraction in the regime of desire and enjoyment proposed by contemporary capitalism. The destructuring and critique of this icon will be considered in the serial portraits of A. Warhol. We are considering the eminently allegorical character of the artist's operation. The poem dedicated from Pasolini to the actress and some photographic portraits will be kept in mind, which, unlike Warhol's images, give us a tragic view of Marylin's face.