See Marilyn at the Ex

MARILYN IN THE MAPLES: Captivating digital construct merged popularized Marilyn Monroe publicity photo with iconic Group of Seven painting to illustrate the contemporary convergence of film and canvas, and American and Canadian cultural influence. It also became VT cover art.

Marilyn Monroe is going to the Ex.

And she is going on the McMichael Canadian Art Collection’s ticket.

The Kleinburg art gallery’s “Marilyn Monroe in Canada” exhibition, which chronicles the screen siren’s visits to Canada in the 1950s, is on display for the duration of the Canadian National Exhibition. It closes Sept. 5.

While fair goers will be treated to memorable photos, film posters and historic magazine articles about the pop culture goddess, “Marilyn In The Maples” will not be among the provocative images shown.

A creation of Vaughan Today editor-in-chief Eric McMillan, the Maples image is a digital composite of a Milton H. Greene publicity photo of Marilyn merged into the equally iconic “Twisted Maple” painting by the Group of Seven’s Tom Thomson. Intended to illustrate the blending of eras for the McMichael’s groundbreaking Feb. 19 – May 15 Marilyn exhibit, it became the cover art for the Vaughan Today March issue.

The McMichael is the foremost venue in Canada for showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries.

The “Marilyn Monroe in Canada” exhibit was first curated by the McMichael’s Chris Finn to accompany an international Marilyn Monroe art show. The CNE version includes photographs by John Vachon and Jock Carroll taken during the making of the movies Niagara and River of No Return. A Rogers-filmed documentary about the McMichael and a Beach Digital video about art lovers’ reactions to Marilyn Monroe myth will be continually showing.

The exhibit, free with CNE admission, is on display at the Queen Elizabeth Building.