PRETTY DIRTY The Life and Times of Marilyn Minter

Director: Jennifer Ash Rudick, Amanda M Benchley

Cast: Marilyn Minter, Jane Fonda, Jeff Koons, Lizzo, and Padma Lakshmi

A provocative and visually arresting portrait of the artist Marilyn Minter. 

Google Marilyn Minter, and what comes up are images of women’s body parts. Mouths, eyes, feet, and tongues, covered in glitter, pearls, and dirt. Encouraged by Diane Arbus in her early years, Minter has been a working artist since the 1980s, attracting controversy for her work exploring the aesthetics of beauty, desire, and the female body. Her work has inspired the high femme aesthetic of pop culture, and she has created portraits of Jane Fonda, Pamela Anderson, Lizzo, and more. Drawing on archival material, studio footage, and (very) candid interviews, Pretty/Dirty strips away the glitter to reveal a portrait of an artist who, nearing 80, has lived a life refusing to compromise. The question remains: is the art world ready to embrace her? (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)