Marc Alain is a collage artist based in New Jersey, USA. His cut-and-paste collages delve into our relationship with nature and the theme of lost innocence. In 2023, Alain was an artist-in-residence at the Monson Arts in Maine and the Peters Valley Residency in New Jersey. Alain also received a grant from The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. Alain's collages have been exhibited at Wassaic Projects and Chashama in NYC. Before his career as a full-time artist, Marc Alain garnered over a decade of experience managing photographer Ryan McGinley's NYC studio. He holds a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Artist Statement

My colorful, multi-layered collages delve into the complexities of life, weaving together narratives that touch upon environmental consciousness, the lasting impact of our choices, and the imagined future of humanity.

Drawing inspiration from found source materials like books, AI, and the internet, I weave together fictional stories. Time – past, present, and future – forms the backbone of my creative process. Vintage periodicals are reminders of the past, providing raw material for my compositions. As I rearrange and layer these fragments, the present unfolds, breathing new life into the source material. The final composition embodies a potential future where the interplay between imagination and reality takes on a life of its own.

At the heart of my work lies a deep fascination with the transitory nature of life and the long-lasting impact of our actions. I depict anonymous bodies, often fragmented or silhouetted, to represent the universality of the human experience. These scenes question life beyond our current reality – from the potential dominance of insects, to the emergence of robots and AI and the remnants of a post-human world.

Despite the seriousness of themes like environmental degradation and loss of innocence, my work also celebrates nature's intrinsic beauty and resilience. By juxtaposing vibrant colors with somber narratives, I strive to create a dialogue about our collective responsibility to the planet and each other.look.