Mary Marley
Wholeness from Fragments
Mary Marley creates contemporary mixed-media collages that transform fragments of paper, paint, pattern, and texture into richly layered abstract compositions. Her work brings together geometric forms and organic structures, creating visual environments that balance complexity and simplicity, harmony and disruption.
Drawing inspiration from the natural world as well as patterns and structures found across cultures and historical traditions, Marley builds compositions through the unexpected combination of materials and forms. Cut paper and acrylic paint become interconnected elements within each work, creating surfaces that invite close looking and reveal new relationships with every viewing.
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Secure checkout, shipping, and collector services available through 1stDibs. Mary Marley is also featured by Fountain Street on Artsy and Artnet.
Selected Works
Each work is a mixed-media collage with cut paper and paint. Click individual works for details or purchase.
Available works typically range from $500–$1,500.
About the Work
Marley approaches collage as a process of bringing disparate fragments into relationship. Cut paper, painted surfaces, geometric shapes, and patterned elements are layered and arranged to create a sense of wholeness, while retaining evidence of the individual pieces that make up the composition.
Her work is grounded in an interest in the natural world, but it does not attempt to reproduce nature literally. Instead, organic forms, repeating patterns, and structures become starting points for compositions that move between the familiar and the abstract. The transparency, depth, and tactile qualities created through layering encourage viewers to move through the work visually, discovering connections among its many parts.
Marley is interested in the balance between opposing forces: complexity and simplicity, harmony and chaos, structure and spontaneity. Her combinations of color, texture, and form create compositions that feel carefully constructed while still allowing for unexpected relationships and visual discoveries.
Biography
Mary Marley is a contemporary artist based in Millis, Massachusetts. Her artistic education includes studies at Lesley University, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, and the School of the Worcester Art Museum. She has also worked as a visual art instructor at Newton Country Day School.
Marley has exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, including exhibitions at South Shore Art Center, Prince Street Gallery in New York, and Riverside Library in New York, as well as exhibitions in Canada. Her work has been featured in exhibitions at Fountain Street Gallery including Transient, Melange, Transitions, and Form and Emptiness. Her practice encompasses mixed-media collage, painting, encaustic, and works on paper.
Inquiries
For works not currently listed online or additional information, please contact the gallery.