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Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley
This book presents the compositions of Christopher Marley: assemblages of real insect bodies that display brilliant color and otherworldly form. The colors are entirely natural, and to render the reproductions as accurate as possible some have been reproduced with fifth-color metallic inks and highlighted with spot varnish. Accompanying the broad sample of Marley's work is a series of essays by the artist: "Design of Insects," "Insects in Design," "History," "Color," "The Coleoptera Mosaics: An Exercise in Color," "Repetition," "Structure," "Texture," "Variations," "Botanicals," "Size," and "Environmental Effects." Christopher Marley was born in Covina, California, and grew up near Salem, Oregon.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 6, 2017
Certainly one of the most beautiful books you will find covering the topic of insects. The photographs are stunning, colorful, and the insects beautifully arranged. I highly recommend this to the insect lover.
February 17, 2018
I appreciated the single specimens more in this book than in Biophilia. There are some weird ass bugs out there.
December 3, 2014
On our honeymoon last year we stopped by the gallery in Prairie Edge Art Gallerie in South Dakota. A few of Marley's insect pieces were on display and we were fascinated. Each piece is a small collection of real, exotic insects. Pheromone shows many of his pieces, along with some additional macro-photography. Often the insects are laid out into a pattern to show wing color gradation or sizing. Other images are show incredibly sharp and clear close-ups of insects so oddly constructed they don't seem real. All the images are stunning. While Pheromone focuses solely on Marley's insect work, his online portfolio also contains minerals, sea-life, plants and more. Gorgeous stuff.
September 21, 2021
This is one of the most disappointing books that I have purchased. The images are flat, blurry and lack contrast.
It is also void of any useful information.
It is also void of any useful information.
Read
February 19, 2014WHERE'S THE CONTENT OF THIS BOOK?????????????????????
September 20, 2021
Beautiful. I envy this chosen path!
January 14, 2024
Beautiful high resolution imagery, inspiring composition and scale
August 16, 2025
Work of art. Worthy of any coffee table. Definitely reccomend for CM enthusiasts and/or insect lover. High quality.
August 23, 2025
I ripped right through this book in a single sitting!.. Obviously I'll have to go back to it again. The bug that took my heart was the giraffe weevil. Still breathless from the pix and the concept.
January 24, 2010
A Closer Look at the Beauty of Nature
'Pheromones are chemical stimulants that insects release to attract one another -- and they've been known to seduce the occasional human, too.' So Christopher Marley states about the chosen title of this fascinating, challenging and very beautiful book of excellent color reproductions of his art: his art is the preservation and design of mounting insects as the objects d'art. Marley is obsessed (in a good way) with the beauty of the 'Phylum ARTHROPODA, which is divided into a number of classes of which insects belong to the class INSECTA. Insects are classified into Orders based on certain characteristics, some of the larger Orders are Coleoptera - beetles, Diptera - flies, Lepidoptera - butterflies and moths. The various Orders are in turn, again broken down into Families ( and sometimes sub-families ) then into Genus and finally species. A particular insect is always referred to by its Genus and species, but for general purposes the Order or Family is normally quite acceptable.' Yes, for Marley this scientific information is important and with each of the insects he approaches in this extravagantly illustrated book he obeys this order of classification.
But that is all on the scientific level - a level that makes this book far more than a monograph on the art of Christopher Marley. The range of colors and shapes and bizarre aspects of insects recovered form around the globe is staggering and there are no two 'images' that appear the same. Other great artists, such as Jacquelyn McBain, have devoted much of their artistic career to exploring the beauty of insects: in McBain's case she also celebrates the flora on which these insects dwell and survive in paintings rich in observed accuracy and fascinatingly coupled with metaphorical titles and ideas. But Christopher Marley lets the beauties of the insects speak for themselves. While the book is a work of art in itself, it only suggests the amazing virtuosity of color and arrangement of his works as they hang in galleries and showrooms. He is a gifted artist, one who deserves wider attention than from just those who appreciate entomology. Highly recommended for everyone's library.
Grady Harp
'Pheromones are chemical stimulants that insects release to attract one another -- and they've been known to seduce the occasional human, too.' So Christopher Marley states about the chosen title of this fascinating, challenging and very beautiful book of excellent color reproductions of his art: his art is the preservation and design of mounting insects as the objects d'art. Marley is obsessed (in a good way) with the beauty of the 'Phylum ARTHROPODA, which is divided into a number of classes of which insects belong to the class INSECTA. Insects are classified into Orders based on certain characteristics, some of the larger Orders are Coleoptera - beetles, Diptera - flies, Lepidoptera - butterflies and moths. The various Orders are in turn, again broken down into Families ( and sometimes sub-families ) then into Genus and finally species. A particular insect is always referred to by its Genus and species, but for general purposes the Order or Family is normally quite acceptable.' Yes, for Marley this scientific information is important and with each of the insects he approaches in this extravagantly illustrated book he obeys this order of classification.
But that is all on the scientific level - a level that makes this book far more than a monograph on the art of Christopher Marley. The range of colors and shapes and bizarre aspects of insects recovered form around the globe is staggering and there are no two 'images' that appear the same. Other great artists, such as Jacquelyn McBain, have devoted much of their artistic career to exploring the beauty of insects: in McBain's case she also celebrates the flora on which these insects dwell and survive in paintings rich in observed accuracy and fascinatingly coupled with metaphorical titles and ideas. But Christopher Marley lets the beauties of the insects speak for themselves. While the book is a work of art in itself, it only suggests the amazing virtuosity of color and arrangement of his works as they hang in galleries and showrooms. He is a gifted artist, one who deserves wider attention than from just those who appreciate entomology. Highly recommended for everyone's library.
Grady Harp
December 10, 2011
The thing about art picture books is, you can glance inside them and tell instantly if you're going to like them. I like beetles anyway, and this book is the epitome of great beetle-as-art books. (Right you are, not many of THOSE around...)
There is no way to explain why this book is so cool. Most everyone thinks beetles not worth anything more than a disgusted glance. I don't care to convert anyone- it's fine with me to have esoteric taste. For those who share those tastes...this book is top of the line.
There is no way to explain why this book is so cool. Most everyone thinks beetles not worth anything more than a disgusted glance. I don't care to convert anyone- it's fine with me to have esoteric taste. For those who share those tastes...this book is top of the line.
November 3, 2012
Here is a book you suspect might crawl away at any moment. As we shuffle through life, most of us rarely get the chance to appreciate the vast diversity of insects in the world. This book abundantly corrects this deficit. The startling range of size, form and hue are arranged for us with beautiful style and aesthetic. This is a wonderful expression of the ingenuity of evolution.
Some animals may have been harmed in the making of this book.
Some animals may have been harmed in the making of this book.
January 10, 2016
Meticulously organized and clean, you will not only appreciate the beauty of the insects in the photographs, but the simplicity and cleanliness in how they are set up, and the outstanding layout and typography of the book. Crisp, clean, organized, colorful.
I especially enjoyed the different categorizations and introductions to every chapter (color, pattern, size, etc).
Great art book! Very little text.
I especially enjoyed the different categorizations and introductions to every chapter (color, pattern, size, etc).
Great art book! Very little text.
August 12, 2009
Wow. It's a beautiful book. Quilters will relate to Christopher Marley's observation about the power of repeating simple forms. Artists will be inspired by the color combinations and forms.
March 12, 2012
This book has lots of pretty bugs.
August 15, 2012
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful! I'm a big fan of Christopher Marley and I could look at his artwork all day.
July 9, 2016
Recommended for all who love color and design.
Fantastic photos of wonderful insects.
Never saw a more beautiful photo of a fly.
Such colorful jewel beetles.
A wonderful giraffe beetle.
Fantastic photos of wonderful insects.
Never saw a more beautiful photo of a fly.
Such colorful jewel beetles.
A wonderful giraffe beetle.
July 14, 2015
A beautiful book of art using insects.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews