Marcus Lyon

Marcus Lyon (b. 1965) is a British artist. His works and publications are held in both private and international collections including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Arts Council of Great Britain. He has been commissioned and exhibited globally. Born and raised in rural Britain, Lyon read Political Science at Leeds University, Leadership at Harvard Business School and Performance Measurement at the Kennedy School of Government. His early working life with Amnesty International in Latin America was the inspiration for his twenty-five year exploration of the issues at the heart of globalisation. In the early 90?s he founded the Glassworks, an award-winning multidisciplinary art studio that acts as a gallery, exhibition venue and centre of excellence for commissioned and original art. As a portrait artist he has photographed a diverse range of public figures from Queen Elizabeth II, to Bill Nighy and the last four British Prime Ministers. His images have won numerous awards and nominations including the B&H Gold, Agfa Photographer of the Year, Prix Pictet 2012 & 2013, a D&AD Silver and five AOP’s. He has created extensive bodies of work around the subjects of development and sport, with particular focus on the built environment. The early 21st century saw his work move from the micro to the macro with the formation of the large scale BRICS, EXODUS and Hinterland series: explorations of the megacity and migration in the modern world. In recent years he has undertaken significant collaborative commissions producing large-scale imagery in the sports/science/art arena, most notably his Stadia and Optogenome series. His current body of work, TIMEOUT, explores the recreation activities that redefine the relationship of man and nature in an age where shelter, sustenance and safety are assured for so many. Outside of the art world Lyon is a determined social entrepreneur and an active public speaker on both photography and development. In the wider photography community he is an ambassador for The Photographer’s Gallery and Photovoice and the Chairman of the Syngenta Open Photography Award. In the not for profit sector he serves as a Non Executive Director of the Somerset House Trust, Founder Ambassador for both Home-Start UK and the global think-tank The Consortium for Street Children. Currently he lives between central London and Brazil with his wife, Bel and their daughter Florence (2010) and son Arthur (2012).