A native Floridian, Joseph MARMO has been drawing since the age of two and painting from 6 years of age. Continuing an education in art at the University of Florida in Gainesville he studied painting under Hiram Williams (a student of Wilhem DeKooning), printmaking under Kenneth Kearslake, drawing with Stuart Purser, methods and materials with Hollis Holbrooke, and sculpture under Geoffrey Naylor. After two years of active duty in the U. S. Navy during the Vietnam conflict he returned to school to receive his BFA in painting and sculpture (1970).
After graduating he worked at the Florida State Museum in Gainesville as an illustrator and preparator (sculptor) furthering his knowledge of methods and materials he would later incorporate in his creations. His work may be seen in many of the state on-site museums such as: McClarty State Museum, Fort Pierce; Sebastian Inlet Museum, Sebastian; Key Biscayne Museum, Miami; Perry Museum, Perry; Kingsley Plantation, Amelia Ialand; the Lieutenant Governor's office in Tallahassee; and the Florida State Museum in Gainesville, Florida.
After three years of museum work he decided to further his art education by touring the major art centers of Europe, parts of Asia, and Africa and has also traveled extensively through Mexico, Central and South America and the islands of the caribbean.
Resettling in Florida in the 1970s, he supplemented his income with various professions: musician, carpenter, charter boat captain, gallery owner or restauranteur he has always followed his passion for creating art and at present lives and works full time at his studio and home in Stuart, Florida and also Boone, N.C.
MARMOs' inspiration is drawn from various sources. Mythology and mysticism, dreams, the ecology and current events all influence the outcome of his work. Spiritual content is always underlying in his work.
He is also an avid En Plein Aire painter having worked in such diverse locations as the Florida wetlands, North Carolina mountains, Mexico's sites of antiquity, the islands of the West Indies and historical sites of Europe and the far east.
MARMOs' sculpture of deep carved glass. Quite different from glass etching or stained glass, the subject is deeply carved into the glass, giving it a kind of bas relief. Some sculptures are air brushed with a special kind of glass paint giving those pieces the translucent brilliance of color found only in stained glass. The sculptures may be free-standing with bases fashioned from wood, brass, steel, stone or any combination of these materials. These pieces are designed for table-top display or to occupy a special place in an interior. Because of the durability of materials used, the large free standing sculptures may be placed in an outdoor garden or yard. The more conventional use of these sculptures is in decorative windows or doors. His present intent in glass sculpture is to elevate it to more of an art form, trending away from its decorative aspects. This entails sculpting not only within the confines of the glass but also the shape of its perimeter.
MARMO is also an accomplished musician/singer/songwriter. His original compositions can be found on internet sites Bandmix and Reverbnation.
