The Will and Intensity of Marisol

Eva Diaz | Frieze | 23rd October 2023

Despite being hugely famous in the 1960’s, Marisol’s reputation faded quickly. A standard review of her retrospective – here – doesn’t explain why. The linked piece, although grumpy about Marisol’s wealth and glamour, does better. Marisol belonged to a world of privilege. Her sculptural portrait of the founder of Playboy is satirising but also “heroizing”, tolerant of his misogyny. “There was often too much Marisol in her works, which became ciphers for [female] profligate desire, will and intensity.” Images are here.