Miley Cyrus has partnered with New York-based artist Marilyn Minter and designer Marc Jacobs to benefit Planned Parenthood. As politicians continue to cut the organization's funding, projects like this one from Cyrus and Minter become even more important. Minter photographed Cyrus and the resulting artwork was unveiled at Planned Parenthood's annual luncheon yesterday. It's now up for purchase for $5,500 on Artsy. There are only 50 prints of the photograph in existence and each has been signed and numbered.
Cyrus and Minter know each other through mutual friends like Diane Martel, who directed Miley Cyrus: Bangerz Tour; Kim Hastreiter of Paper magazine; and the art dealer Jeffrey Deitch. Minter says her and Cyrus came together to create the artwork expressly to support Planned Parenthood.
"The idea for the limited edition photograph came along because we both are passionate about women's health and the important role of Planned Parenthood in our country," Minter tells Complex. "We wanted to do something to give back to the organization, and both felt it was important to vocalize our support."
Minter says the photograph came about organically. "We were just playing around in the studio and this is what worked," she explains.
The photograph is shot in Minter's signature style: a close-up and hyper-real image of a woman that borders on the surreal. She has taken stunning photographs of lips, eyes, and tongues and also shot for Tom Ford in the past. Artsy calls her style "a steamy mediation on glamour."
Minter is also a strong advocate for Planned Parenthood. She received its Woman of Valor award in part for putting together an auction at Sotheby's that raised $2.5 million for Planned Parenthood. "It's very gratifying," she says when asked about being able to use her talent to support the organization. "We all do what we can and this is how I give back."
In addition to the photograph, Cyrus also worked with Jacobs on T-shirts that read, "Miley Hearts Planned Parenthood” and “Pro Choice Miley." The T-shirts will be available at Jacobs' website for $50 on May 16.
100 percent of the money raised from both the artwork and the T-shirts will go to Planned Parenthood.
