South Park Fine Art Gallery

Marcus Glenn

1968-
Marcus Glenn was born in 1968 in Detroit, Michigan. His first introduction to art was at the age of five when his kindergarten teacher asked him to illustrate a board that was in the classroom. He furthered his artistic skills by attending the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. Marcus credits his artistic skills as God given ability and studying artists such as Picasso, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Benny Andrews and Ernie Barnes. In 1988 at the age of twenty Marcus participated in his first public art exhibition hosted by Gerald Marant Gallery along with former Detroit Pistons player John Salley. The group exhibition featured nationally known artists Annie Lee, Carl Owens, and Gilbert Young. He became the first African American and the youngest cartoonist in the Detroit News. As a free-lance cartoonist his comic strip ?Double Trouble? was published daily in the News and ran for three years.

In 1998 Marcus was commissioned by Daimler Chrysler to paint a mural. Later that year, he was commissioned by renowned restaurateur, Patrick Coleman for a mural. In 1999 he was featured in a group exhibition hosted by DaimlerChrysler.

In August of 2005 Marcus? work was featured in his first museum exhibition held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan.

As an artist, Marcus is known for his use of bright colors, and his expressive use of papers and fabrics, creating a masterful textured collage effect. His figures are animated and mannerist in approach, often stretching and twisting into impossible positions. He also has created a unique form of combining painting with sculpture to form a bas-relief effect. He calls this style ?Flat Life? and has been developing the idea for more than a decade.

Marcus is considered one of the most exciting of a new breed of young African-American artists to emerge in recent years. His work deals with issues that continue to fascinate him, like the creative process of making art; the solitary experience of the artist, the dialog between art and the viewer (Marcus will often incorporate the works of other artists into his imagery); and music, mostly Jazz. Many enjoy stepping into his realm of colorful and unique imagery.