Comprising eight small drawings of the actress Carole Landis, Untitled I-VIII. Embodying many of the artist’s preoccupations and fascinations, the figure of Landis serves to encapsulate the themes of personal destruction and the drama of fame. In her image, the strange curdle of desire and desperation that are consequences of a Hollywood existence are perpetually discovered anew, along with the oppressive atmosphere of public scrutiny and obsession.

For this series, Fowler has sourced images of Landis during her World War II ‘tours of duty’, when she became a popular pin-up among servicemen based outside of America. She travelled more than 100,000 miles during the war, spending more time visiting and entertaining troops than any other actress. The drawings are deliberately cut to the same size as playing cards — a direct reference to the packs featuring nude women that were circulated among troops as a form of puerile entertainment. Here, Landis takes the place of the anonymous nudes. Rendered in carborundum, she glitters against the graphite background of nameless male troops craning for a glimpse of the star.