I attended the "Marlyn Monroe: A Portrait" Exhibition in London's National Portrait Gallery, an imposing, historical building overlooking Trafalgar Square. Marlyn Monroe is ubiquitous to most of us, and I went to learn more about her life behind the lens and the hundreds of pop art images we see today. As you can imagine, the exhibition was lined with her photographs that many of us are familiar with including some never seen before.
One small piece that struck me was an unassuming self-portrait sketch called "What the Hell...That's Life", drawn in the style of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai for her close friend and photographer, Sam Shaw.
It was a small, expressive sketch, set in a quiet part of the exhibition, away from many of the bright lights and large photos. This piece was the one that I couldn't walk away from for some time; it was something I didn't expect to see or feel that day. Proving to me that yet again life can bring us inspiration in the most unexpected ways.
