GREGORY BAÔO - Shining Ovation

GREGORY BAÔO - Shining OvationTechnique: Mixed Media with Swarovski Crystals (Chromatic intervention on a historical archive photograpy) Year: 2021 Size: 59 x 74 cm Edition: Limited Edition of 10 copies + 1 AP Certificate: of authenticity provided Information about the artwork: This artwork is based on an unpublished photograph, acquired at auction in the United States in December 2020, which had never been publicly shown before. Taken by an unidentified U. S. Army photographer,

Technique: Mixed Media with Swarovski Crystals (Chromatic intervention on a historical archive photograpy)

Year: 2021

Size: 59 x 74 cm

Edition: Limited Edition of 10 copies + 1 AP

Certificate: of authenticity provided 

Information about the artwork: This artwork is based on an unpublished photograph, acquired at auction in the United States in December 2020, which had never been publicly shown before. Taken by an unidentified U.S. Army photographer, it is one of the most striking visual records of Marilyn Monroe during her 1954 tour for American soldiers in South Korea. The absence of a credited author reinforces the raw, immediate nature of the scene, captured from within the military context.

The image portrays Marilyn at the center of the performance, where the elegance of her stage presence contrasts with the harsh cold and surrounding conditions. Her posture and expression reveal a quiet determination, balancing fragility with strength, intimacy with public display.

Rather than simply revisiting an archive, the artwork highlights the tension between the apparent lightness of entertainment and the deeper human reality of the moment—where an iconic figure emerges through courage, vulnerability, and a powerful presence before an audience seeking comfort and hope.