Christopher Marley
Christopher Marley | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 7, 1961 Covina, California |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, photographer, naturalist, author |
| Notable work |
|
| Movement | Biophilia |
| Website | christophermarley |
Christopher Marley (born January 7, 1961) is an artist, photographer,
Background
Marley was born in
Inspiration
Marley long considered insects the "parasites of nature".[6] To cope with an insect phobia while traveling as a model to exotic places (like South Africa, Borneo, China, and Peru),[2] he collected bugs for exposure therapy.[5] Marley reflected on the benefits he's gained from interacting with the natural world, and chose to share this realization with others. In 1998, Marley started to arrange his bug collection using a design and beauty perspective after visiting a mansion in South Africa with nature integrated throughout it.[5] Marley's fiancé convinced him to take early works to boutiques in Beverly Hills, where eight out of initial ten stores he approached wanted to sell his works.[4][5]
Artistic medium
Marley's works feature animals, insects, fossils, minerals, botanicals, bones, and sea life.
While abiding by local municipalities and their regulations, Marley has developed a network of zoos, aquariums, catchers,
Exquisite Creatures exhibition
Marley developed a traveling exhibit of his artwork using preserved animal specimens from places such as Tanzania and Cambodia.[11] The exhibit has traveled to museums such as North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences,[11] Oregon Museum of Science and Industry,[10] and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[12]
Impact
Alongside its collection of the oldest collection of insects in the new world, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has featured Marley's insect work.[5]
For the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, former Nike CEO Mark Parker collaborated with Marley to develop an iridescent shoe inspired by Marley's work of the Sagra buqueti beetle.[5]
In September 2017, Marley established Pheromone Asia Studio in Beijing. This allows legal import of insect specimens into China, which was the entity to do so.[12]
Marley's work is also used to inspire youth. A university biology professor at the University of Notre Dame uses Marley's works to inspire his undergraduate biology students.[4]
Reception
Marley's works are generally received with positive reviews. Curator Melanie Johannson of the Cornell Art Museum says, "You’re seeing the beauty of something and appreciating it in a different way than you would if it were alive and it were crawling around".[5] Additionally, a curatorial assistant at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University's department of entomology shares, "[Marley] has really been an emissary to show how beautiful the natural world is."[5] From a youth perspective, a teacher from a charter school in Portland, Oregon took his students to Marley's Exquisite Creatures exhibit and reports that, "This is the highest level of engagement I've had of any field trip that I've done like this, to museum exhibits, that I've ever done".[2] With regards to influencing product design, former Nike CEO Mark Parker says, "Chris' subject matter and imagery have inspired Nike's design work on color and texture, on high-performance track spikes for Olympic athletes and even new interpretations of classic styles, like the Nike Air Max."[9]
Personal life
Marley currently lives in Salem, Oregon.[6] He has a 10,000-square-foot studio warehouse outside the city of Salem.[5]
Publications
- Marley, Christopher (September 1, 2008). Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley. ISBN 978-0764946196.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link - Marley, Christopher (April 14, 2015). Biophilia. ISBN 978-1419715617.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link - Marley, Christopher (January 1, 2023). Exquisite Creatures: A Dialogue with Art, Nature, and Science. Christopher Marley Studio. ISBN 979-8986360805.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link
References
- ^ a b c "Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley". www.nhbs.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ OPB. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Pedersen, Alex (October 9, 2016). "Creators – Christopher Marley". Polyfield Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Scott, Aaron (January 6, 2018). "Christopher Marley's Dead Things". NPR. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ OPB. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Cercle, Maxime (June 23, 2015). "The symmetries of Christopher Marley". Cercle. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Aaron, Scott (January 15, 2018). "Oregon Artist Turns Dead Creatures Into Beautiful Compositions". NPR. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ OregonLive. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Simon, Rachel (December 1, 2021). "The 'Exquisite Creatures' Exhibition Lives Up to Its Name". INDY Week. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Magazine, L'Etage (December 6, 2017). "Christopher Marley Opens 20,000 Square Foot Exhibition " Biophilia – A Dialogue with Art, Nature and Science"". L'Etage Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
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