Mark Dion

Mark Dion's first project for the Neiman Center, Scala Natura, playfully reconsiders the hierarchy of life forms running through the canon of western philosophy. His visual chart borrows widely from the history of western image-making and scientific illustration yet he displaces humans from their position at the apex of the great chain by adding objects of industry, art and culture to the final row of the chart.

For his second project, Hunting Standards, Dion collaborated with the Neiman team to create a portfolio of four banner-like images that illustrate both the empathy and irony of hunting. His images of The Fox, The Boar, The Deer, and The Rabbit provide visual commentary which address "hunting as a cultural practice that is rich in traditions, passionately pursued and highly controversial."  Dion returned to the Neiman Center to work on additional print projects, including Cupboards, Closets and Lockers, which focus on the origins of natural history and museums.  

Dion (b. 1961) was awarded a BFA in 1986 and an honorary doctorate in 2002 from the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford, CT. He attended the School of Visual Arts, NY from 1983-1984 and the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program in 1984-1985. Dion has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions and his work is represented in the museum collections here and abroad. A notable commissioned work is his permanent outdoor installation and learning lab at the Olympic Sculpture Park made for the Seattle Art Museum. Dion has often focused his artistic investigations on the complex history of the representation of nature, the practice of archeology and the culture of collecting. The forms of his projects are diverse and include architectural scale public works, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and photography.

Learn more about this artist:

Artist Interview
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
Art21