Apr, 06, 2021
ArtistsCommunityPhxArtist Spotlight
Aaron Allen Marner: In His Own Words
From portraits to collages to murals, the work of Aaron Allen Marner explodes with color, yielding images that are both visually and emotionally arresting. Born and raised in Phoenix, Marner uses these saturated hues to bring life to artworks that seek to capture and express his own experience as an African-American artist.
Most recently, Marner’s work has been inspired and influenced by conversations and national responses initiated by the Black Lives Matter movement, and this past February, his recent and former work was featured in a virtual exhibition at Arizona State University in celebration of Black History Month. We spoke with Marner to discover what motivates him to create and the meaning behind his art.
Here’s Aaron Allen Marner, in his own words.
“I’ve always considered myself a chameleon, a person who can adapt to any circumstance.”
Aaron Allen Marner. Photo Credit: JJ Westgate.
PhxArt: When did you first become interested in art, and what inspires and motivates you to continue creating?
Aaron Allen Marner: As a child, I grew up drawing and was always very interested in art. My inspirations come from my life and the lives of others around me. My motivation comes from my enjoyment of art and my love of being creative. Being able to express myself through art keeps me immersed in the process.
PhxArt: What are the media you prefer to work in, and what topics do you explore in your art?
Marner: The mediums I work most with are acrylics and oils, using various surfaces ranging from canvas, wood, and metal to other textured surfaces.
I predominately paint faces or figures, with my subject matter varying between social issues and personal experiences, whether from my life or the lives of others. Recently, I’ve created work that leans toward Cubism and murals/collages and includes more pattern work and vibrant colors.
Aaron Allen Marner, Untitled, 2020. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
PhxArt: What inspires these saturated colors, and do the recurring patterns in your work have specific meaning to you?
Marner: I think the vibrant color in my art gives the work more life. I enjoy pushing as much and as many different colors as possible when working on a piece. In regard to pattern work, a lot of the time it happens by accident. I stumble upon something from making geometrical shapes, and it ends up recurring in my work, although I often attempt to alter those images from painting to painting. The use of symbols and figures such as birds in my paintings symbolize freedom. Flowers, which also occur a lot, represent growth, passion, pride, prosperity, and gratitude.
PhxArt: Tell us about your piece A Boy Living Amongst Children. What was the inspiration for this particular painting, and what is something about it that might surprise viewers?
Marner: The title of the painting is a line from a Leon Bridges song, “That Was Yesterday.”
“Yesterday I had nothing
Didn’t know whether I’ve amount to something
I had holes in my shoes and in my clothes
Only yesterday
Just a boy living amongst children
A mini guitar that I could play with
I would pretend that anything could happen
That was yesterday…”
The song illustrates a life of overcoming struggle while also still attempting to figure out life and how one fits into it.
Aaron Allen Marner, A Boy Living Amongst Children, 2021. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
PhxArt: Who are your greatest artistic influences?
Marner: As far as painters, my greatest influences are Frida Kahlo and Jean-Michel Basquiat. I really enjoy the style of their art as well as the stories and experiences expressed through their work. I gravitate to them more because of who they were as people. They were undeniably talented artists, but I respect who they embodied as activists, the complexity of their lives, and the things they endured. More recent artists whom I’ve become familiar with and who have influenced me include Kara Walker, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Kerry James Marshall, and Kehinde Wiley.
I am also very influenced by music. Being involved in music in some capacity throughout my life seemed to simultaneously connect to art as well. I love the process of how people create music, the stories behind musicians’ lives, and the experiences they had. Miles Davis is probably my biggest influence. The immeasurable talent he possessed seemed to put him in a category of his own. His adaptiveness throughout his career and life—that’s what I relate to the most. I’ve always considered myself a chameleon, a person who can adapt to any circumstance.
I’ve also read and studied the writing, plays, and work of August Wilson, and he has become a huge inspiration to me as well.
Aaron Allen Marner, I Never Dreamed You Leave in Summer, 2020. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
PhxArt: Where have you recently exhibited work?
Marner: In 2020, I was commissioned to do several social justice pieces addressing some of the racial disparity that occurred in our country over the summer, spring, and the past few years. I created several mural-style pieces with the goal of showing Black people and people of color as human beings, as equals, to express unity and address the level of inequality still occurring.
Other work over the past year continuing into 2021 consists of my Cubist-inspired work, figurative work, and collage-style vibrant work, examples of which have been on display virtually through ASU’s West Campus since February as a way to highlight Black History Month.
Aaron Allen Marner, Let Love Rule, 2020. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
PhxArt: What’s on the horizon? Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us?
Marner: I will continue with more collage/figurative work and am working on a new series. The series will touch on my life and tell stories of me growing up and also where I am now. From late March through April, I will also be painting a mural in tribute to a friend lost this past summer who was a big influence in the community. I am also in talks with the Tempe History Museum about doing a possible exhibition this June in honor of Juneteenth.
See more
To discover more work by Aaron Allen Marner, visit his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram @aaronallen1313. To view his current virtual exhibition at ASU West Campus, visit https://publish.exhibbit.com/gallery/092216845/long-gallery-36288/. For art-related or commission inquiries, email aaronmarner@gmail.com.
Aaron Allen Marner, The Color of Oppression, 2020. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
#CreativeQuarantine
We’re curious how creatives are navigating the time of coronavirus. Aaron Allen Marner shares what’s giving him life as a creative during quarantine.
Marner: Painting and being creative in general has gotten me through this period with COVID-19. The experiences over the past year have shaped my art tremendously, and I’ve incorporated all of those feelings and emotions into it. Being active on any level has kept me sane and always has been my refuge. Exercise is a very important aspect of my life. My love of cinema has played a large part as well. I love documentaries, period pieces, and science fiction. Music has been key, and more recently, I’ve started listening to self-help and motivational speakers such as Jim Rohn, Les Brown, and several others, which has given me a different perspective on my approach to art and life.
