Art of Being Liz Renay

Over 500 images capturing the life and times of a true 20th-century “bad girl” Liz Renay (1926–2007) dabbled in subcultures like a true American polymath. She was a World War II V-girl, beauty pageant winner, fashion model, variety performer, beatnik poet, painter, Marilyn Monroe look-alike, burlesque star, Hollywood actress and mafia moll (she went to prison in 1960 for refusing to squeal on her boyfriend, mob boss Mickey Cohen). Her memoir My Face for the World to See was a bestseller in 1972. In 1977, she starred in John Waters’ Desperate Living. After seven marriages, great-great-grandchildren and more than 2,000 lovers, Liz continued to enjoy her bachelorette lifestyle in later years. Her books went into multiple printings, while fan mail, autograph conventions and headlining Legends Night at the Burlesque Hall of fame kept her busy. Fifty years after her art world debut, Liz’s paintings were displayed in a solo show at the prestigious Deitch Projects in New York. When Liz died, the New York Times honored her with a half-page obituary. The Art of Being Liz Renay is a visual romp through one woman’s journey from Depression-era Arizona through the sexual revolution, featuring personal photographs curated by Scott Ewalt and essays by John Waters, Cindy Sherman and Bruce Benderson.