Preview: Marbie – “LOVED ONES” @ Hashimoto Contemporary [SF]

“FUMBLE AND FALL”
Paper collage
8.5 x 11 in
12 x 14.5 in (framed)

I’ve been following Marbie Miller on Instagram ever since I first saw a clip of her butt-sliding down a rail, a couple of years ago. A larger-figured bi/trans woman tearing it up on a skateboard might be an easy sell to someone like me, but it also makes for an unavoidable target if that’s your identity and you’re growing up in small-town Iowa. Marbie discovered a deep passion for skateboarding, early on, but a major leg injury not only threatened to take that away from her, it actually sidelined her from it for years. This depressing time period of trying to rehab and relearning to walk overlapped with her first real exploration into her trans identity, as well as looking toward other outlets like art. She, eventually, relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, and found herself a community there, but her leg — and, in turn, her skating — still wasn’t where it once was and there were more injuries to come. Now living in Oakland, her long journey of perseverance and self-exploration has resulted in her becoming a professional skater sponsored by There Skateboards, CCS, Krux Trucks, and Spitfire wheels, with a signature Skullcandy collab, while becoming an inspiration for endless admirers the world over. A multi-disciplinary visual artist, Marbie‘s first solo exhibition in San Francisco will open this Saturday at Hashimoto Contemporary.

People love to hate, which is why I love that Marbie‘s art exhibit is titled Loved Ones. Skateboarding, like an endless amount of other subcultures, has a severely toxic element to it; especially in the digital age where anonymous, bitter keyboard warriors feel emboldened to spew negativity and hate with little fear of consequence. Most of the time, this comes from jealousy and the “what makes them so special?“/”why isn’t that me?” crowd of individuals who feel entitled to the praise and fortune of others without any real achievements of their own. Quite often, there is a sizable dose of misogyny mixed in. If a skating account posts a woman busting a trick, the comment section will inevitably accuse the account of pandering to the “woke” crowd. Pushing back against this sort of gatekeeping and elitism, there are some great social media accounts where skaters — primarily women — post themselves in the process of learning in an effort to celebrate that process, encourage others, and demystify the whole sport. Unfortunately, the comment section of those accounts can also be smattered with negativity. As Marbie has stated, the one thing about the skating community is that they only care about if you can skate, as evidenced by when burley skate god, Brian Anderson, made a tremendous impact by becoming the first openly gay pro-skateboarder back in 2016. But while having someone with the skills of BA who was already widely accepted prior to coming out was so important in altering the culture in a positive way, the fact that skating is still very much a boys club overrun with toxic masculinity cannot be denied. It’s true that “skills” are respected, but one thing that feels like it’s far too often underappreciated in a world where everyone is trying to do the biggest gnarliest tricks is the importance of style, which is something that emanates from every fiber of Marbie‘s being.

Focusing too much on personal identity can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Hate-boarders (trademark) often point to gender and/or sexual identity with accusations of pandering, as if the only value of a trans/bi athlete like Marbie is her representation in a marginalized demographic. On the other hand, representation is not only incredibly important and worth mentioning, but it can so often be a vital part of an individual’s identity that informs elements of their work and shouldn’t be denied. I mean… look… this is supposed to be a preview for a visual art show and I’m writing about skateboarding, but Marbie wasn’t handed an art exhibit simply on the basis that she’s a pro-skateboarder anymore than she earned her sponsorships simply based on the fact that she is trans or bi. The truth is that there is a throughline connecting all of these aspects and a greater appeal related to her energy, personality, and style that shines through it all. I should clarify that in the instance of her sponsorship with THERE Skateboards, a collective dedicated to supporting queer and trans skaters, Marbie‘s identity does play a role. That said, as someone who, herself, has been so inspired by THERE founder, Jeffrey Cheung’s Unity Queer Skateboarding movement and women representation in the sport, it’s hard to imagine that Marbie could feel anything other than honored to be in a position to inspire others in a similar fashion. The importance of a champion-level woman athlete like Letitia Bufoni to the sport is undeniable, but can, sometimes, feel just as daunting for the rest of the skateboarders out there that will never align with that image of super-human fitness models. Marbie‘s energy is more about the power found in accepting oneself in all the ways that make us unique, along with the beauty and joy that can break through the other side of adversity. This is something that speaks loudly through in her art.

The art and expression that skateboarding offers are what make so many fall in love with the sport; it’s not only about who can do the biggest or most technical tricks. Similarly, visual art isn’t always about who can paint the most photorealistic image — to be entirely honest, without anything of more substance behind a technical rendering, a lot of that shit is the most boring work I come across. I believe that Marbie‘s work has garnered her so many fans because she’s not afraid to lean into having fun, first and foremost, while balancing things out with plenty of examples of her technical ability. People may not realize that iconic skateboarding visionaries like Rodney Mullins once struggled to adapt early on, because we view them so positively now, in retrospect. Similarly, so many who now acknowledge Basquiat and Warhol as geniuses would have been the same ones to critique them as “unable to paint” or “simply making stencils” back when they were at their artistic peaks. Whether using a deck or a canvas as her backdrop, Marbie has honed her own trademark style born entirely from a unique identity that radiates uplifting light and positivity, along with a belief in one’s own individual power. I don’t believe that she ever really sought to become a pro skater or a professional artist; by pursuing these avenues from sheer love, others recognized what she had to offer and reached out to her with opportunities for collaboration. This reality will only be more irksome to the vocal minority of haters out there that do covet that level of recognition, but anyone that still can’t comprehend why a growing number of fans, sponsors, and art enthusiasts are drawn to what Marbie is doing… you might want to try looking inward. We definitely love it and the bold psychedelia of her visual art is something that we connected to immediately.

The following excerpt comes from the press release for Marbie‘s new exhibit Loved Ones

“Loved Ones features an array of paper collages and paintings on canvas in Marbie’s signature colorful style. These works use an arrangement of figures in motion to represent the artist’s emotions, selfhood and perspective of life around her. Each figure in this latest body of work is representational of longing, isolation, triumph and perseverance. Orbs are used within each image to embody a guiding light, helping one through situations of vulnerability. Marbie refers to these orbs as ‘Loved Ones’ to symbolize a constant presence of loving energy, never leaving the character to feel lonely. Each figure is in a fluctuating state of dynamics, either playing with, viewing or holding an orb to symbolize these transitions through everyday feelings and moments.”

Check out the preview images for the exhibit below the following event details…