Artwork Description
Marilyn Pure Joy Yellow 3 Color Silkscreen Print by Pure Evil Hand-Pulled on Deckled 300gsm Somerset Fine Art Paper Limited Edition Screenprint Artwork.
2025 Signed & Numbered Limited Edition of TBD Artwork Size 16x20 Silkscreen Print of Hollywood Actress, Marilyn Monroe Stylized in Black & Yellow.
Marilyn Pure Joy Yellow by Pure Evil as Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
Marilyn Pure Joy Yellow is a hand-pulled 3 color silkscreen print created by the London-based artist Pure Evil, born Charles Uzzell-Edwards. Printed on 300gsm deckled Somerset fine art paper, the 2025 signed and numbered edition captures the essence of both pop culture iconography and emotional minimalism through a unique lens of urban commentary. Sized at 16 x 20 inches, the artwork features a stylized portrayal of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe rendered in stark black and soft yellow tones, layered with Pure Evil’s trademark tear motif—a thick black streak cascading from one eye, cutting vertically across the paper. This striking visual device has become a hallmark of the artist’s practice and is a powerful form of commentary within street pop art and graffiti artwork.
The Pop Icon Reimagined Through a Graffiti Lens
Pure Evil recontextualizes Monroe, not as a flawless screen goddess, but as a fractured symbol of glamour and vulnerability. Rather than focusing on realism, the portrait embraces stylization and abstraction that allows the subject’s mythos to be reinterpreted. The yellow accents in the hair evoke mid-century beauty culture, but the stark monochrome contrasts emphasize a sense of loss or distortion. It is not simply a celebration of fame; it is a meditation on its cost. The vertical black tear, recurring across Pure Evil’s works, is not decorative. It evokes themes of trauma, impermanence, and identity loss associated with celebrity worship. By blending graffiti aesthetics with pop culture subjects, this work destabilizes nostalgia and forces reconsideration of public memory.
Fine Art Materials with Street-Driven Intent
Though grounded in the lineage of street art, this silkscreen is printed using fine art techniques and materials. The 300gsm Somerset paper and hand-deckled edges signal the artist’s fluency with the gallery system, while maintaining visual cues from urban environments. The bold contour lines, the stencil-like application, and the saturated palette are grounded in graffiti’s graphic sensibility. Each print is hand-pulled, which introduces a subtle variation and authenticity to every edition. This craftsmanship affirms that even though the imagery is rooted in mass-produced iconography, the execution is deeply intentional and personal.
Emotional Simplicity and Symbolism in Contemporary Urban Art
Pure Evil’s Marilyn Pure Joy Yellow connects to a broader contemporary conversation about the emotional undercurrents of iconography in street pop art and graffiti artwork. The emotional core is heightened by its formal restraint—limited colors, bold geometry, and the solitary symbolic gesture of the tear. In an era saturated with digital images, this piece slows the viewer down. It invites reflection on why we idolize and what we ignore. Through this piece, Pure Evil extends a conversation about fame, fragility, and the psychological fallout that so often accompanies cultural elevation. As both an homage and a critique, the work serves as a compelling example of how street culture can infiltrate and elevate high art discourse without abandoning its rebellious roots.
