The Life and Career of Marshall Arisman
Marshall Arisman was an American illustrator, painter, storyteller, and educator. Born in Jamestown, New York, he grew up on a dairy farm and later studied advertising art at the Pratt Institute. Following his studies and military service, he worked as a graphic designer for General Motors while taking evening courses in figure drawing. His professional reach extended to major American periodicals, including The New York Times, Mother Jones, The Nation, OMNI, Time, and Penthouse. He also illustrated several books, such as Fitcher's Bird and Frozen Images.
As an educator, Arisman served as the chair of the "Illustration as Visual Essay" degree program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His creative output was diverse, ranging from the multimedia installation The Last Tribe, which explored themes of nuclear annihilation through painting, sculpture, and video, to the Ayahuasca Series of oil paintings based on the rituals of the Quechua people. In 2008, he released an album of his own stories titled Cobalt Blue.
Artistic Style and Collections
Arisman's work is characterized by expressionistic depictions of figures in tortured postures, often featuring smeared brush strokes against black shadowy backgrounds. His imagery frequently incorporates themes of violence and predation, including depictions of torn flesh, blood, and violent force. In contrast, other works like Charging Buffalo utilize an expressionistic style to reflect on primal connections with the environment and a regenerative life force.
His paintings have been exhibited in one-man shows across the United States, Europe, and Japan. His work is held in several permanent collections, including:
