Making Connections
What's fascinating about the work of this artist that CCP follows on Twitter, Christopher Marley, are the connections he evokes between natural objects, and how his artistry evokes a sense of connection to the objects in the viewer. The work facilitates an experience of the "communion of subjects" that Thomas Berry talks about, in which we recognise that these objects are not objects at all, but rather have their own "inner spontaneity" to be experienced, or acknowledged, or even revered. Some of the connections Marley seeks to evoke may be harder to make for some people than others, such as his use of snakes.
However, Marley finds the inherent beauty in even the most unconnect-able creatures, and in the structural and aesthetic connections between creatures and natural objects. He invites us to try to enter into relationship even when it's hard or scary.
Marley discusses the Ecozoic inclinations of his work on his website Pheromone Gallery. One can wonder: is it truly honorific of species' subjectivity to create objects out of them? If wonder is sparked and connection is stirred, does it justify pin-boarding? Would we allow the same to be done to a human animal? Without experiencing the beauty of the creatures Marley finds, so many of which we might never even know exist, how can we be expected to support and advocate for their continued existence?
Questions abound, and so does beauty.
“The myriad ways that humans can work in conjunction with their natural surroundings to the benefit and preservation of both are as boundless as our creativity.”
