artist feature: christopher marley

September 16, 2013Emily Oster

From an early age, Christopher Marley had a passion for nature. He also had a phobia of insects. While traveling in Asia in his twenties, Marley decided he needed to conquer his fear by forcing himself to take a closer look at the organisms that caused him such anxiety. This closer observation not only resulted in Marley overcoming his fear but also became the inspiration and source of his work as a designer. Marley's work with organisms attempts to "foster a deeper appreciation for the masterful design found everywhere in the natural world" (Marley). By drastically disassociating an organism from its natural environment, his works forces the viewer to appreciate the beauty of the small, obscure organism. Marley's work has expanded to include sea life, minerals as well as other creatures that he categorizes as the reclamation collection. Here are a few of my favorites although I recommend going to the website so you can see the specimens in more detail.