Marlies Plank Contemporary Fine Art Photography and Digital Art
Marlies Plank is a contemporary photographic artist and graphic designer based in Vienna, Austria. Her creative journey began with a foundation in Visual Anthropology, where she initially explored documentary photography. However, her artistic evolution led her toward conceptual and fine art, where she could better express stories and ideas that transcend literal depictions of reality. Marlies Plank is known for a unique style that seamlessly blends the abstract with the figurative, blurring the lines between the tangible world and the realm of imagination. A defining characteristic of her work is the use of digital post-production and superimposition techniques, layering vibrant colors, patterns, and designs over her photographs. This approach allows her to explore humanistic ideas and the rich emotional spectrum of the surreal and dreamlike. Notable projects include the long-term series Soapbubble Studies, which captures giant soap bubbles floating through idyllic landscapes, and the Dream On series, which features anthropomorphic pink elephants in various surreal settings. Her professional success includes high-profile collaborations with global brands, most notably Maison Valentino, for whom Marlies Plank designed butterfly artwork for their pre-fall 2014 collection. Her work has also been commissioned for murals, such as the Dream On mural at the Hilton Las Vegas, and commercial projects for clients like Die Zeit, Le Monde, and Harvard Business Review. Marlies Plank has exhibited her work internationally in galleries across Europe and North America, including the Museum of Photography in Los Angeles. Her art serves as a visual storytelling medium, inviting viewers into a world of escapism.